20th Oct 2008
World News vs the North Americans and Spin
So, am just leaving Iceland today to make it to class tomorrow. After several days here, then in London, the buzz about the economy has been amazing. Iceland used to be a very poor fishing country. Exploited by the Danish, then the Brits, they finally achieved financial independence and became quite an upscale country of 300,000. Very socialist in nature, the country enjoys pretty well an upper middle class existence. Homelessness is not an issue (actually it would be too cold), but people are relatively taken care of in the health, wealth, and shelter aspect. So the Icelandic peeps began doing some investing abroad, and the Brits started putting money in the three big banks in Iceland. Now, here we are — the 3 banks are closed, signs on the door saying…well, closed. Icelandic students on exchange abroad have no money, travellers find their credit cards don’t work, the Brits want to use the terrorist act to seize Icelandic monies in the UK, and the two countries are very, very worried. Meanwhile, the Russians want to assist Iceland, the Scandinavians want to not let Russia, and the World Bank doesn’t want them either, so the International Monetary Fund fascists want to take it over. The Canadian and American news media address the issues, but no explanation really as to exactly everyone got to this place, yet, the European nets are basically calling the duck a duck and mentioning the fact that the US got the world into this mess in the first place. When will the non-American countries begin to stand up and refuse to let the US dictate the discourse of the world? As Canada is so closely linked to the US, there is not much assumed difference. Lest we forget the unholy trinity launched by Harper, Bush, Rumsfeld and the boys three years ago with the tri-country (Mexico, US, and Canada) alliance for security and finances. Are you frightened yet?
From the blue lagoon, Shirley
I don’t know much about the world’s financial situation right now, but everyone knows that we are in deep. I agree with Shirley that the non-American countries including Canada should not let the US control the discourse of the world. It seems like Scandinavian countries and Iceland for example are doing quite well financially and do not need to have ties to the US. I am just not sure if that is really possible. After all Iceland does seem to be facing some problems and the crisis in the US can’t be helping. The fact is, that the world is a pretty small place and it’s hard to just break away form a link to a huge financial empire. China’s economy for example is flourishing right now but I’m pretty sure that its major buyers are North Americans and namely the US. When a producer’s buyers lose their money and slip into a recession the producers obviously loses out and everyone else linked to them is in trouble as well. It would be nice to see non-American countries stand up for themselves as Shirley puts it but unfortunately I don’t think they could afford to. Once again, I’m far from a pro in world economics and I’m sure Iceland’s economy is much different than China’s but the fact remains that the Us has a lot of money and in my mind that means a lot of power…
I’m pretty confident that my classmates who know the facts might tear into me for this one.
reading response:
In order to stop the offensive and demeaning effects of ageism, we should probably seek to understand the root cause of this prejudice. To me, this prejudice seems somewhat peculiar really. While racism and sexism are certainly unacceptable, they are a little easier to understand. A man may subordinate a woman in order to gain power. This act does not put him in danger of being subordinated because it is unlikely that he will miraculously become female. Likewise, a white man will not eventually become black or Hispanic. Discriminating against the elderly seems somewhat bizarre to me however, in that those who discriminate are destined to one day become the “other” (old, that is). Self-preservational instincts should ward off against defining a group as inferior if one has the knowledge that they will one day become a member of that group. Consequently, I hypothesize ageism to be a discrimination of a different type. In my opinion, ageism is the young population’s expression of their fear of death. Being old is associated with coming to the end of one’s lifespan; dying, essentially. Perhaps the young population defines the elderly as “other” instinctually as a means with which to separate themselves from the idea of death. This theory makes much more sense, considering self-preservational instincts. Could it be then, that the young do not really feel themselves superior to the old, but rather cannot bear the though of dying? Is this why they try to separate themselves from the elderly by depicting them in the media as characters so removed from what the young may define as normal, usual, or FAMILIAR?
I sincerely think about the same question. When will the world stand up against US influence/ dictatorship? As an American, it is pretty bad of me to say so but there is a limit to everything. Why is it that the US wants to impose nuclear pacts on all of the world yet will not sign the agreement themselves? How can the UN let that go? This whole economic mess is due to the US and its shaky financial decisions, yet they are still having a say in how world economy should be run. I mean haven’t we seen the US mess up enough times (Iraq, Afghanistan, Econ Crisis) to still be letting them be the judge? There is also an underlying of imperialism still alive in these tactics. I honestly fear for the my livelihood and those of my children. The way that things are going, I’m going to end up as a third class citizen just as I would have been back in history. I’m ranting but I honestly don’t see why countries bear this crap and let have it their way.
I am writing about something that happened today regarding media and not having anything to do with the blog (s) above
I was waiting for my class to start today and as I would do several times in any given day I checked my facebook profile. I saw that someone accepted my friend request and mentioned to some friends sitting close by that I was friends with a celebrity on facebook. They all asked who. Very excited I might add. I said bashfully, well he’s not really a celebrity….they were even more interested at this point. I said, “well do you guys remember Student Bodies?” They all replied….”OH MY G-D…. of course, I loved that show!” So i informed them that the new friend on my facebook profile was Jaime Elman, the guys who played Cody. They all laughed and said similar comments about the show. Remembering how they watched it growing up and that they loved it. I laughed and agreed with them all. At that point I went to google and typed in Student Bodies and within seconds found some TV clips in either youtube as well as google video. thinking about how easy it was on my walk to the train on my way home from school today let me realize how we count on the internet so much now. Did I really need to google that topic? No, not really. But it sure was fun to look back down memmory lane and see a clip from an old TV show we (the girls sitting next to me) used to all watch and love. I know that the show was only aired on Canadian youth television known as YTV, but I also remember watching it every day at 7 PM and remembering how it seemed that there was only about 15 shows ever made. I always found myself watching the same show and never caring. But I guess when it was followed by the TV show Breaker High, (starring the then not-so-famous Ryan Gosling), a show about high school students going to shcool on a cruise ship, it didn’t really matter!
This is all kind of funny in a way. I mean right now, I am sitting here, at my desk, reading a blog about how things are problematic in Iceland and thinking how could I respond to the topic in a way that it would bring something to the discussion. But I realized I know absolutely nothing about what is happening in Iceland and only a little bit about what happened with the American banks going bankrupt and pushing the whole system toward a recession. It is sad and alarming to see that even though I consider myself a responsible citizen, I don’t even keep informed about what is happening around the world! Furthermore, if I’m not informing myself and conscientiously working on my knowledge of the world’s situation, it probably means that I’m not the only one… Thus there’s probably a whole army of self centred bozos who just like me are completely oblivious to Damocles’s sword hanging over our head. Does that mean there is a consciousness problem in our world? That some of us are simply too apathetic and lazy to take an active part in the world? Well I sadly think so. Even though there is something in the far reaches of my inner self that tells me that we would be able to motivate people to take action, it seems out of reach. I mean there was a time when people would actually fight for their beliefs, is it still the case? I don’t know. It might have something to do with the average population age. Being an ideologist and believing in world change might be something for the young. I don’t know. The only thing I’m pretty sure of is that I don’t really know anything about anything going on right now… I’m going against my own principles… Isn’t sad? or is it a societal problem?
ok so I am about to follow in Robyn’s foot steps and go completely off topic, but it’s about what she was talking about. I was there while the whole “student bodies-slash-breaker high” conversation took place, and memory lane was kind of fun in class today, so when I got home, being a total procrastinator I went on one of the many sites that links us to unauthorized movies or tv shows and watch a random episode of saved by the bell. I couldn’t agree more that we rely on technology a bit too much. I mean I literally go crazy when my laptop cannot connect to the online world. I mean honestly, what is the point of a computer if you can’t access Internet? But I have to say, as much as I am completely addicted to Internet and cell phones, sometimes it feels SOOOO good to just unplug. For years my family would rent a tiny little cottage (more like a shack lol) on thanksgiving weekend and there would be no reception AT ALL. If we were lucky we’d get radio reception and even then, it was usually “talk show” type stations where people babbled endlessly about nothing. This year though, we didn’t go - I guess because it became more of a hassle to plan, but I can’t believe how much I missed being able to turn off the real world and sit in front a bonfire while night surrounded us. We would canoe, hike, bike, play pool, and just relax, and it would be amazing. I mean coming home would be great too, because reality was nice, but those few days away would be the perfect way to de-stress, something that would come in handy right about now! Instead though, i found myself de-stressing by watching old old old episodes of shows from my childhood, so thank you internet lol and thank you robyn for that trip down childhood memories
after reading all of these blogs and other from the obama topic my blogue is going to be quite a mix.
i have to agree with natasha that it does feel so good to “unplug” yourself every once in a while. thanksgiving weekend i had a family dinner out at my aunts house with all of my cousins who i don’t get to see very often and i was lucky to have my phone die. i didnt know how long dinner was going to be and i had made plans with some friends to go out that night once i got back home. with my phone dying i was able to enjoy my time with my family and not have to answer everyone when asked where i was or when i would be home. dont get me wrong i do think cell phones are great and i probably depend on mine way too much considering me and my roommate dont even have a house phone anymore.. but every once in a while its nice to turn it off and be free and out of reach.
as for the Obama/McCain blog i remember the first time i watched McCain speak on TV and he “accidently” called Obama, Osama. I didn’t for one second believe that this was an honest mistake. I was convinced he mixed the names up on purpose to connect Obama to terrorism. Both candidates want to win and of course will do whatever it takes to gain the most votes, but sometimes it’s taken too far.
Well until reading this 10 minutes ago I didnt even know that iceland was having economic problems. Honeslty that makes me feel ashmed.Like we only have 1 world and it would be nice to know whats going on. But most of the time were kept in the dark because the news doesnt give enough information or the website are so contradicting. Or we have so many worries of our own that we dont really have time or dont care whats happeing 10000000000 miles away. Unless it hits home or close to home we dont worry. I think thats horrible ! Why cant all these countries stop being so damn stubborn and help one another. Like you think by now the world would realize that we need one another for human survivial…But nope !
We just sit here listening to the president or the Prime minister and well whatever they say must be right, right? NO No No.
Why dont we change our ways now, while theres still some time and an actual chance.
Like Shirlely mentioned before are you frightened yet?
Yes I am. In the world we live in today and the lovely people running the states and canada, who knows what lie sin our future…
Gosh it freaks me out, and I cant even talk about it because it gets me so fustrated.
But we just sit back and let our world crumble and fall right in front of us….so I say that were to blame…until a dramatic change is made.
Posted @ 11:50 pm monday!
Coincidentally, after Anita’s lecture about South Asian Media, I saw the Indian actress Aishwarya Rai on David Letterman. As soon as I heard the term “Bollywood” I figured that it a pretty western term, seeing as it mimicks “Hollywood”, but I did not know the actual imperialist history behind the concept. I didn’t know that the “B” comes from Bombay, which was the English name for Mumbai. I think it’s pretty great that India rejected the name Bombay after their independance and went back to their original name. The actresses on Letterman usually take quite a beating from the host, who sets out to expose their dumb-blonde attitudes. When he interviewed Paris Hilton, he asked her stupid questions about jail, and continued when she repeatedly asked him to stop. Rai didn’t even give him a chance to start, she beat him to the punch and started making fun of him. He questionned some of India’s customs and lifestyle and she shot right back poking fun at the west. I thought she held up really well and proved to be a really great role-model, not only for young indian girls, but for girls world-wide (especially since that is something we are lacking in the west… actresses who do not get lured to playboy or maxim)
Coming from Newfoundland, I feel a strong connection with the spirit of self-sufficiency and related frustration that drove Iceland to declare independance. They have successfully managed their natural resources to maintain their longevity and profitibility (specifically their cod fishery) and it is sad to hear that GB is still sore about that whole trawler-ramming incident. Terrorists? Anyone that is a card carrying member of the Axis of Not Evil Club can slap that sticker on any living creature they want to eradicate or exploit.
I am infinitely frustrated by one thing regarding the US guided tour of the Great Economic Toilet … if Americans are so staunchly anti-socialist, what the bloody frickin’ hell are they doing bailing out private banking institutions with government money?! If your citizens are supposed to stand on their own two feet and all that claptrap, there seems to be a slight ideological flip flop here somewhere. All I can say with any surety is that where there’s smoke, there’s fire and I smell thieves. Low down parasitic gluttonous thieves!
Nowadays, the media is evident basically everywhere you look: the news, television shows, movies, books, magazines, and even in clothing stores. People are so focussed and absorbed in what the media has to offer - clearly addicted to what is available. To top it off, the media has the ability to maintain and create stereotypes, violence, and sexuality. More recently, media has focussed its attention on the topic of homosexuality which has become an almost unavoidable topic. What the media reveals about homosexuality, in many cases, labels them in particular ways whether or not this is intended or accidental and, as a result, they are moulded into these stereotypes. For example, in shows like “Will and Grace,” one of the characters fulfils one of the most common stereotypes of gays: flamboyant and feminine. Fortunately, the ideas and thoughts surrounding homosexuality have, in Westernized societies, improved with time. Nonetheless, although we may be moving towards a world in which there are people who believe that there is indeed nothing wrong with being gay, there are many who still believe that it is.
It is clear that the media has such an enormous influence on society and in this case, how homosexuals are regarded. Therefore, it is vital that we are aware and conscious in regards to the messages that are being put forth in the media so that we will be more knowledgeable as what is true and what is false. By doing so, we will be able to benefit from the media rather than being disadvantaged by it. At the end of the day, it is clear that the media’s influence is not going to go away. To be honest, it is actually only getting stronger. Thus, before it takes over our thoughts, opinions, and lives, I believe that it would be a better idea to merely be conscious and cautious of what it is that we are watching.
Hey! well my dad just sent me this link.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge2J2lNusJs
I don’t know anything about economics and I don’t really understand what’s going on with the criis thing… But watch it, it’s interesting.
I always find that even though we live in Canada we are always trying to live as Americans and constantly striving to have everything they have. However I’ve had the chance to go to Germany. Although many people may find this country to be boring it is absolutly gorgeous and people really know how to enjoy their life. The lifestyles are relaxed and although I’m sure they ahve the same daily stresses that we have it doesnt seem to be so commercialized. Stores close at 8 on weekdays and 5 on Saturdays. Sundays everything including the grocery stores are closed. People are actually not allowed to work on sundays and are supposed to take the day off. If you ask me that seems like the life. Very few people are left to live on the streets and although not everyone may live an exquiste life people seem fairly content. I went to Germany in 2004, perhaps alot has changed since then. As you said Iceland used to be a pretty well of country and people seemed to live a content lifestyle. Personally I agree that the United states as done quite the job ruining other countries. It should be up to the countries themselves to not let america dictate their every move, however the United states SEEMSSSSS to have alot of power. nations need to stop being so concerned with money and filled with greed and need to do something about how america is rapidly changing the world…and not for the better
Wow, in response to Ana Arguelles link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge2J2lNusJs
This was a weird video. I think it is critical to analyze this video.
This video talked about a conspiracy of the US government creating a new currency, for when the dollar reaches zero. The new currency (not being named for my own self respect), would replace the Canadian and US dollars and Mexican peso, as a common currency. Although he doesn’t allude how Canadians and Mexicans would be included in this plan.
First-off, this was a sketchy guy, I get the creepy idea he is just another apocalyptic predictor. Just sitting and waiting until he saw a place to chant.
He had some interesting points. He showed us the new currency he “obtained.” And claimed that the coin had been minted in Denver in 2007. Unfortunately the coin was blurry on camera.
Wow, everything is on You Tube.
—-
Perhaps I shouldn’t have ranted there.
I had read bit on the situation of Iceland. I knew Russia had wanted to loan them all the money they needed. Bizarre.
The North American media seems only concerned with whats happening here, media centric as usual.
The North American media is like the sports media in Toronto. Even if the events are terrible and everyone is losing, there still is nothing more important than the than the worst team ever.
Blog 7
While reading through the comments to this blog, I read a line in Natasha Maiorino’s response that really stood out to me. She said that “as much as I am completely addicted to Internet and cell phones, sometimes it feels SOOOO good to just unplug.” This line really resonated and hit home with me and I thought it would be worthwhile to comment on it.
Let us face it; we love our media. We have our dear movies, TV shows, music and video games that we love with all of our hearts. Some of us have pieces of media that we love more than we love some of our friends (but of course, we would never want them to know that!). We treasure moments from media as if they were our own personal memories, or situations that we had personally experienced, and when people even so much as mention the names of these pieces of media that have positively impacted our lives, we become so enthusiastic that it seems we had just won a small lottery.
As students of critical media literacy, we are aware of how the media disseminates stereotypes, supports hegemonies, furthers ideologies and disfavours groups by representing them in negative ways, legitimates existing power/knowledge hierarchies and has an often damaging effect on our youth. At the same time, however, there is much we love about the media, and we almost work part time jobs (for which we are not paid but in joy), keeping up with our facebooks on the computer, shows on TV and movies in the theater. We even internalize the memes that are spread by our favourite TV shows; how many of us have heard people shouting out lines from Family Guy, Chappelle’s Show or uttering a Boratian “Great success” after accomplishing something? So not only do we love media, but we integrate it into our very constructions of self and social experience.
At the same time, though we love the glittery, neon, glowing, technicolour world of media images, we also love, as Natasha’s comment shows, disengaging from the media, unplugging ourselves from the whole media nexus. Sometimes it feels incredible just to turn off our computers, neglect our facebooks, turn off our cell phones and just relax out on the lake on a bright blue-sky day, or just sit around the house with our families or friends. We love both engagement with the media and disengagement from it. We love to run the race that is required of us to keep up with the media, and love the refreshing feeling when, after having run the race, we just sit off the side of the racetrack and calmly catch our breath.
I practice zazen or Zen meditation, and what I find is that when I sit down to meditate, I often seem to bring the whole buzzing world of media sights and sounds with me. Sitting up straight, simply watching the breath, I hear snippets of songs drifting through my mind, catch phrases from TV shows, and see replays of funny movie moments. It is as though, even though I physically leave the media behind when I go to sit Zen, it still comes along with me in the backseat of my memory. The Zen student in today’s world practices in a way that is in many ways very different from the Zen students of old whose only sources of media were newspapers and scroll paintings. There is a lot more “inner ringing” in the contemporary Zen student’s mind as all of these media sights and sounds resound through the empty halls of our memory.
All of the noise that makes up our contemporary media sensory landscape can sometimes distract us from those things that matter most to us. Alternatively, the media can sometimes drown out and mask, for a while, those parts of us that we sometimes forget when we are swept up in media magic. In meditation, once the loud booms and bangs of media memories quiet down sufficiently (when we finally “unplug” in any meaningful way), we find that all of our concerns, insecurities, fears, beliefs, and so on, all come up to buzz in their place. In Zen we watch as these things come up without getting swept away in their current until we sit in true stillness. What I have found is that this stillness is not separate from the loud bustle of media images that we experience; it is the same one reality. But to know it as stillness often really means taking Natasha’s advice and deeply unplugging for a time, at least long enough to sit and let the resounding sounds die down in the quiet space of our awareness.
So I thank Natasha for sharing this great quote which brings up a point that I think is very important. I do not think we should fall into the extremes of trying to separate ourselves from all media on the one hand, or totally immersing ourselves in media at all times on the other. It is okay to love our media as we do, so long as we also allow ourselves to disengage, quiet down and rest in the calmness of everyday reality for a while, with the leaves falling from the trees and the wind blowing them aloft. We can enjoy and still be critical and aware, love and still unplug ourselves for a time. This way, we can live genuine lives, even in a postmodern, mediated world—plugged or unplugged.
Well Iceland is discussing a deal with the IMF for a loan of 2.1 Billion over a 2 year period. They are hoping to stabilize their economy and build confidence back into their banks. Lets face it on we are all facing a financial crisis on a global scale. The IMF of course seems eager to help. However since the IMF is comprised of many countries they will obviously help who ever will present some form of compensation in the long term. Furthermore whatever country provides the most funds to the IMF will obviously have more power in decision-making. And guess who that is. It’s the same country that has created a global monetary problem. The U.S. We are facing a financial and economic uncertainty on a global scale that is completely unprecedented. The closest comparisons being the stock market crash and World War 2. The huge increase in commodity prices essential to our daily lives is frightening. Economic growth has flourished on new emerging markets but these will soon slow. It’s imperative that countries work together to return to a sustained growth and stability in the global economy. I’m sure as a result to past economic issues policies and action plans have been created and enforced to deal with issues of softening economy especially concerning public funds. However one factor remains evidently clear; we are living in very uncertain times. Ill do my part for Iceland and keep buying Icelandic water. It says its bottled there but I have a feeling its probably supplied by some city in the U.S. selling of their public water supply.
Blossom Dearie:
The Radio, the Telephone, and the Movies that we know
May all the passing fancies and in time may go…
Alright, oldies moment over.
As an investor, I can say that I am more than a little worried about the world financial crisis. You don’t need to study abroad to be stuck in a bad situation right now (albeit working for them might mean a few more hurdles) True, I wasn’t planning on retiring anytime soon, but my only safety net was in my RRSPs. I have seen this net shrink twice now, when the only stock I owned took a plunge, and now that the rest of the funds are going down the drain, I can pretty much say that I am without a net.
Ok, this sounds glum, but I’m not overly worried about it, to be honest. I’m still relatively young, so there are good chances that my money will at the very least go back to it’s pre-2007 value. But I’m not holding my breath. What we need to focus on, instead of money, is skills. I got skills, do you?
Just like in every troubled times in history, those that weathered the storm the best were either incredibly rich to begin with (scratch that) or had enough skills and adaptability to turn themselves around. When you are doing something, anything, and it doesn’t work, the only sane thing left to do is to stop and ask yourself some questions.
Jason, and I ask this with the greatest respect: Why don’t you just buy a Nalgene and turn on the tap? At least you’ll know what’s in your water. Bottled water is unregulated. And undoubtedly NOT from Iceland.
ok so I don’t realy know anything about what’s happening in iceland or what is happening in the banks these days and i know i should start listening to the news a little more. But for know if it’s all right i’d like to talk about a movie which just came out yesterday and its impact on its audience. High School Musical 3 just came out, this movie is the new Grease of our time. A musical which so many people love. as much as many might say its just a musical, its realy a movie that captivates audiences of many age groups. this is a fun and entertaining movie, i find it is also one of the cleaner ones. there was even an audition show for a new member for high school musical 4, i never knew how many teenagers loved the movie and wanted to be in it. i find that this movie is a good influence on kids because it teaches them to group together and become unified and not make differences between each other. of course using good looking characters does help a bit!!
Natasha M brought up her annual thanksgiving vacations WITHOUT Internet. How many of us can actually imagine taking a weekend off from the Internet? I went to my friend’s cottage in Cape Cod for thanksgiving and they actually had Internet at the cottage and cable! Their house is an old family house and this year was the 100th year they have owned but the first year they had cable or Internet. Why? What has suddenly made it impossible for us to do without? I mean we were so happy to have Internet, I mean go a whole weekend without checking facebook, WHAT? I am from Trinidad and my family and most of my friends are all around the world studying, so for me facebook and the internet in general, e-mail, Msn, Skype, are great ways for us to stay in touch. But oh my gosh there are so many people who are my “friends” on facebook and I actually spend time looking at their profiles. I don’t know about you guys but I actually find that when I go home for Christmas and summer vacations I find myself in facebook about once a week whereas when I am at school it is every day, more than once a day. I use facebook as a way to see what is going on at home but mostly as a form of procrastination. I am sure we all have our different reasons. How often do you use facebook and what is your main reason for using it? Or maybe you or one of the few who have managed to escape its clutches. As embarrassing as this is to say my grandmother actually has facebook, but on the other hand my boyfriend refuses to be on facebook. He says, and I quote, “People today have no respect for themselves, they give themselves no privacy and facebook is the death of our society.” As true as it is I just laugh, I still love it.
I also am pretty far away form home…not as far away as Trinidad but I can still relate to what Anya values in Facebook: a way to stay connected to friends and family around the county/world. I certainly agree that there are some serious privacy and disconnection issues associated with Facebook but I guess I just don’t take it too seriously. I’m increasingly feeling, however, that facebook is becoming more clutter than anything. I mean when I was on facebook earlier today, I could have been reading the news and checking up on the situation in Iceland. I guess I feel that life sometimes feels so packed with distractions that its easy to forget what is actually important. One of the themes that I picked up on from the blogs above is how great it feels to “unplug” and slow down. i think it’s so important to take the time to sort out what you want and value, independently from the fast-paced, technological culture of today. If what you value is staying in touch with world affairs, that’s great. Simply naming that intention should help to prioritize things. With the increasing power and prevalence of the media it should be increasingly important to take the time to step away from its influence so that you can take what you truly enjoy and value from it and minimize what slows you down.
Blog 7
Sorry to ruin the flow of the blog, but I wanted to comment on the topic about how we love our media.
I don’t think we actually realize how media has taken over our lives. When I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is take out my laptop and read my daily news. I can honestly say that I would find it very hard to spend a day without my laptop. It is crazy to think that going on the internet was once a big event; you had to find a good time to go online so your dial up would not interfere with the phone, then you had to sit and wait for dial up to connect. Loading up web pages was no easier as the poor quality graphics of the day only appeared in slow loading chunks and took an eternity to load. Now using the internet is a breeze (minus setting up wireless networks) as everything is quick and efficient. Internet connections are unbelievably fast and the addition of tabs to browsers has got to be the invention of the decade. For me, going on the internet is something which I don’t really think about, in fact; every time I am on the computer I am most likely on the internet as well. Hell, writing this blog has been interrupted numerous times by facebook, sports scores and absolute nonsense which can be found all over the net. TV once played a similar role in my life, acting as a great time filler or distraction from work.
Actually the internet has not replaced TV in distracting me as I often find my housemates and me on our computers while also watching TV. So I guess you could say the internet has replaced TV in many ways but it can also be used as a supplementary distraction. Just like this blog entry, I lack focus and direction and having the internet at my finger has only made it harder to change that.
It’s really kind of disgusting the way this whole thing is going down. The way i understand it the whole crisis is based on people screwing other people in the name of money. “I’m going to set you up with a loan, despite the fact that i know that you have proved yourself unable to pat these loans in the past.” The people who gave out these loans then sell them to another party to hedge their bets. Those people then sell them again and again and again. It’s basically a huge game of hot potato where the guy with the potato at the end takes the fall. This is capitalism at its worst, but well within its parameters. if enough people are left holding the potato when the music stops (to mix analogies), the economy is screwed. Have you heard the obscene amounts of money that the CEOs of various companies were raking in? Millions of dollars!!!!! Millions!!!!! I’m still poor enough that when i hear of someone taking in more than a million dollars in a calendar year my heart sinks. What entitles these people to earn such money? it seems to me that greed has a lot to do with it. “You made me billions of dollars (I don’t care how you did it) just don’t stop and i will reward you with a cut. It’s like some mafia organization or something where you got to make your money, i don’t care how, and cut me in to keep your position. If you don’t I’ll find someone who is able to make me money. It’s all just a big pyramid scheme.
To add on to what everybody is saying about Facebook, I think it’s great and I still live at home. I keep in touch with friends who are out of town but its useful for contacting people in town as well. School acquaintances who I need to get in touch with but wouldn’t call can be reached through Facebook. Networking is very important while in school and Facebook is a great aid. Groups that stand for causes or that organize people are useful as well. Inviting people to events on Facebook is incredibly popular and may replace old fashioned mailing invitations. One problem is that potential students who we will be teaching have Facebook and will be very tempted to add us. This is a sensitive issue, since we cannot get to close to these students but we do not want to insult them either.
All in all, Facebook is a very useful tool, but can also be a tremendous waste of time. Trying to keep up with pictures and wall posts, often interferes with study time and is not really important. If Facebook is used in moderation than I don’t see how it can be bad in any way.
So this isn’t about facebook or Iceland….but for my blog entry I am going to write about racism after reading and reflecting on chapters 18 and 52… As part of my minor in education I was required to take either a course in multicultural education or First Nation and Inuit education. I took multicultural ed because I thought it might be a little more relevant to my future. Going into that class I felt like I was already pretty grounded, not prejudiced nor racist. I wasn’t racist, but I realized while taking the class that there was a lot I didn’t know about different cultures, and the way they are perceived, especially in the West. Through my multicultural education class I realized that many classes in schools are clearly lacking in a multicultural curriculum. Without adequate coverage in schools, kids aren’t taught to critically reflect on the media they are exposed to and we are left with situations like the kids discussed in chapter 52, who felt that a video of a man being tortured was reason enough to distrust all Muslims. With the advent of video streaming online, the way we view the news has changed. Anyone can view news videos (that may be disturbing in content) on the internet, and students need to be taught to view such media critically. That’s not to say that it isn’t abhorrent that Nick Berg was brutally tortured. Im just trying to say that if kids were more critical in their understanding of media they would not be so quick to generalize; painting one extremist group as representative of an entire religion.
In our last class we shared the experiences we had with media and technology during our stage. Here’s my experience: One of the challenges that the teacher and I faced was having twenty children each use a laptop during their computer class. The teacher had difficulty understanding how this would be feasible without my help. There were many obstacles in deploying these laptops. First, I had to leave the classroom to go get the laptops at the computer lab so that the teacher could stay with her class. The laptops were all in a portable unit that could be rolled from one class to another. After bringing the portable unit in the classroom, I had to take out each laptop. The children got very excited when they saw the laptops. The teacher was trying to keep them busy while I was setting them up. The laptops took at least twenty minutes to boot. The children were getting impatient. Some laptops were nonfunctional so I had to get other ones. Once the laptops were up and running, the wireless internet connection was extremely slow. Some laptops were shutting down because the battery power was too low. A couple of children had accidentally opened over thirty windows to freeze their laptops for several minutes. Some children accidentally closed their window so the teacher and I had to restart the program for them. Technology did not make anyone’s life easier during this computer class. The children spent very little time doing exercises on their laptops. We learned from our challenges are chose to do things different with the next group. With the next group, I borrowed the laptops and began booting them up twenty-five minutes before the computer class. We also decided to only use ten laptops so that I could have them ready sooner. The teacher created groups of two for them to share a laptop. The children still had to wait because some laptops were slower than others. They did not have to wait as long as the previous group. The network was still very slow for them. Some children were frustrated with the fact they had to share a laptop and others were upset about the speed of the internet. The second group had much more time to utilize the laptops but still was not considered a success. The teacher knew that it would unrealistic for her to be efficient going forward even if she found someone else to help when I was gone. This was a challenging experience because I felt helpless and frustrated. The children were frustrated and upset. I felt guilty that we disappointed the children and wasted valuable time. The teacher and I created frustrating experience. We later found out that other teachers were having similar problems. The teacher and I discussed with other teachers about possible solutions so that computer classes can be a pleasant and learning experience. We felt that the best solution would be to permanently setup all the laptops in one classroom to make a computer lab. The laptops would always be ready to be used and without having to worry about battery power. It would be much easier to bring the children to the laptops, rather than bringing the laptops to the children.
In response to Kelly, while I was on stage I wasn’t exposed to a lot technology. Our technology consisted of a projector so that the teacher can present her powerpoint to the class. Even though the way in which your school’s system is set up isn’t quite effective, your school is very lucky enough to have laptops for each student. However, I do agree that your school should set up a class which consists of laptops. These laptops shouldn’t be transported from class to class. It is a hassle for the teacher. Along with all the responsibilities a teacher is given; teachers must now transport laptops around the school, and make sure they work while teaching an entire class of approximately 30 students. However, I must say that it is quite interesting how you and your teacher were able to come up with an alternative for your next class. This experience just demonstrates how teachers must be prepared for anything and everything. Teachers must be prepared with many plan Bs because we can’t always depend on technology. The reason for this is that even the “wonderful” world technology, that we are fortunate to have, isn’t reliable. Another example would be the powerpoints we had to hand in last week. Technology does have its advantages but, as I’m sure we’ve all experienced, it has its disadvantages as well.
I would just like to add, that it is quite devastating what is happening, not only in Iceland, but around the world. It shouldn’t be that much longer until Canada along with the rest of the world realizes and does something about the amount of power/influence the USA holds. Their faults shouldn’t cause the downfall (economic crisis) for countries all over the world. The USA, or any country for that matter, shouldn’t have the right to hold that much power.
I’m also going to be blogging about facebook/technology…
Everywhere you go, everything you see, is somehow affected by technology. The internet is basically a drug, something people can’t live without anymore. I remember the good old days when computers had black backgrounds and green writing… we’ve come so far in so little time. And now the newest installment to the internet: FACEBOOK. I know I’m completely addicted. It’s rare that I go a day without signing it to check out what’s new in the world of… well everyone! I think facebook has its pros and cons. An obvious pro is staying in touch with people. I think it’s really cool to be able to stay connected with family from all over the world, friends from high school, friends from across the country, etc. It’s much easier to know what’s going on it everyone’s lives by simply clicking on their facebook page, rather than the old school pick-up-the-phone-and-call way. I think a major con to facebook is how easy it is for ANYONE, even non-friends, to get a glimpse into your life. There are so many pictures of me all over facebook; it’s sort of creepy to think about it. This past weekend I was up at a cottage in Tremblanc, rented for the weekend. Some of my friends had brought their laptops to “study” (that never happened). We all assumed there was no internet up north, but low and behold… there was wireless! So of course we all checked out facebook, e-mail, etc. because how could we go through a weekend without it? My friend’s step mom tried to add her on facebook, and she didn’t know what to do! She didn’t really want her step mom to be able to look at her life on facebook, and then we started talking about when we would get rid of facebook. I mean, it will eventually be inappropriate in some way… but we then concluded, something new and improved is bound to come up soon and then we’ll all abandon facebook and move on to the next internet craze!!
Personally I do not want to talk about the American debates, or anything to do with politics, and the economy. I don’t know if it’s only just me or does it seem like the whole world is going to shit. All the time we see terrible things happening , it like nothing good has come about in this last decade. All we hear about is terror , war ,recessions, job losses, and killing the environment. If people would look outside the regular box of CNN, CTV, etc… They would see that great things are happening in today’s world. It is very aggravating to only see the bad things. Why do we not hear about the Toronto film festival , doing great, or how Montreal tourism doing well. This summer we had a great year almost no cities get all the events we get. We never hear about the Olympics and how it is Canada third time holding the Olympics. We seem to not look at all the great medicinal discoveries. Nor have we heard about the great leaps humanity has taken in the last 20 years. It gets so depressing when all we talk about negative things. No wonder our world has turned into a giant pile of crap, we make it out to be that. Yes we have screwed up in many ways but if we keep on reminiscing on this we will go nowhere in life.
I agree with what Amy said. I beleive that, not only are we too busy to learn about the countries around us, but that we are too lazy. I admit that all i ever watch on TV or search for on the Internet is clips from my favorite TV show. I am also ashamd of not knowing anything about the world aroind me. I feel like an idiot when people ask me about economic problems and about wars, becuase i do not know anything. I do not force myself to learn. Like Amy said, i don’t think that the worl has yet learned to lend a helping hand to ohter countries in need. We only decide to help others when we realize the damage that was made to us. A good example is people who don’t want to raise money for breas cancer. However, once it has touched “home” do these individuals begin to do something about it. That is exactly what our country and other countries are doing.
One thing I seemed to get out of these posts was that most people do not know about the outside world a whole lot. We do know somethings but where do we get this information. We definitely get it from the media (at least those who watch the news and look for world events). But where else? I am very ashamed that I am not so knowledgeable about the world’s news and events. I seem to find that I am not alone in this feeling. I am ashamed but I have taken steps to improve that. I am slowly looking into news reports and reading the news paper. But how diverse is our local paper? One site I continually look at is CBC.CA, but should I be checking out other sites? In my opinion yes but which ones offer the best source of unbiased news? Sometimes I try to wonder if such a thing exists. Honestly I wish there were cameras just everywhere so that I can just see for myself but that would be wrong right? Anyways, I also am wondering where in the world will I have the time to check everything out? I know a few things about what goes on in Canada, the U.S. but that is really it. I think that it is a personal choice in what we chose to find out and read about, especially in today’s society where we can access information from all over the globe at the tip of your finger. I just find that we are not brought up thinking more globally. Our technology has advanced to the stage where we can become more connected but our society is not ready for it. We need to be more in tune with the rest of the world because we want to be technologically connected to the rest of the world. There is no point in being able to know everything if you do not want to know anything.
One thing I seemed to get out of these posts was that most people do not know about the outside world a whole lot. We do know somethings but where do we get this information. We definitely get it from the media (at least those who watch the news and look for world events). But where else? I am very ashamed that I am not so knowledgeable about the world’s news and events. I seem to find that I am not alone in this feeling. I am ashamed but I have taken steps to improve that. I am slowly looking into news reports and reading the news paper. But how diverse is our local paper? One site I continually look at is CBC.CA, but should I be checking out other sites? In my opinion yes but which ones offer the best source of unbiased news? Sometimes I try to wonder if such a thing exists. Honestly I wish there were cameras just everywhere so that I can just see for myself but that would be wrong right? Anyways, I also am wondering where in the world will I have the time to check everything out? I know a few things about what goes on in Canada, the U.S. but that is really it. I think that it is a personal choice in what we chose to find out and read about, especially in today’s society where we can access information from all over the globe at the tip of your finger. I just find that we are not brought up thinking more globally. Our technology has advanced to the stage where we can become more connected but our society is not ready for it. We need to be more in tune with the rest of the world because we want to be technologically connected to the rest of the world. There is no point in being able to know everything if you do not want to know anything.
One thing I seemed to get out of these posts was that most people do not know about the outside world a whole lot. We do know somethings but where do we get this information. We definitely get it from the media (at least those who watch the news and look for world events). But where else? I am very ashamed that I am not so knowledgeable about the world’s news and events. I seem to find that I am not alone in this feeling. I am ashamed but I have taken steps to improve that. I am slowly looking into news reports and reading the news paper. But how diverse is our local paper? One site I continually look at is CBC.CA, but should I be checking out other sites? In my opinion yes but which ones offer the best source of unbiased news? Sometimes I try to wonder if such a thing exists. Honestly I wish there were cameras just everywhere so that I can just see for myself but that would be wrong right? Anyways, I also am wondering where in the world will I have the time to check everything out? I know a few things about what goes on in Canada, the U.S. but that is really it. I think that it is a personal choice in what we chose to find out and read about, especially in today’s society where we can access information from all over the globe at the tip of your finger. I just find that we are not brought up thinking more globally. Our technology has advanced to the stage where we can become more connected but our society is not ready for it. We need to be more in tune with the rest of the world because we want to be technologically connected to the rest of the world. There is no point in being able to know everything if you do not want to know anything.
Think about this for a second…HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR pulled in 42 million dollars this week. Released on October 24th, the movie brought in 12 million dollars more than Saw V. 12 million dollars!!!!!!!!!!! I will admit it, I went, I saw, I loved!
It was an amazing thing for Disney to finally decide to release the movie into theatres. HSM 1 and 2 were straight to DVD release, and although they made a lot of money that way, think about it 42 million dollars! Maybe it’s because finally, Zak Efron and Venessa Hudgens finally get a real make out scene in this movie? Because Corbin Blue’s hair is so long and out of control? Who really knows. All I know is my 9 year old cousin dragged my aunt to see the movie on Saturday night and when I actually went voluntarily and noticed that there were 10 other people in the audience and only 2 of them were younger than I. It made me laugh and really got me thinking what kind of control does this movie have over us. It was truly a a lovely night out!
Race Readings:
While on the topic of race I would like to talk a bit about ‘The Cosby Show’ and ‘A Different World.’ I have been shocked to find that so many scholars on multiculturalism as well as members of the black community find the portrayals of blacks in these shows offensive. During the time these shows were on the air, many argued that blacks were misrepresented to boost ratings. Let’s take a look at ‘The Cosby Show’. In this program, the mother (Claire) is a lawyer and the father (Cliff) is a doctor. They live in New York with their 5 children. To put it simply, the show depicts an upper-middles class black family. Now, to me this show sends a very positive message: Individuals from minority groups are intelligent, and capable of attaining university degrees and good jobs. To me, this show counters many perceptions of blacks as unintelligent, unmotivated citizens confined to the lower-class. To me, this show promotes racial equality by disproving stereotypes. Others however have argued that shows like these discard black culture and plant black characters in the upper-class where they live the white American dream. They claim that the only way to make black characters likeable to the masses is to have them embrace white culture. In my opinion, this argument is completely ridiculous. To represent black characters as uneducated habitants of the lower class would inevitably strengthen negative stereotypes and perpetuate the system of oppression as audiences come to believe these representations of blacks as inferior. Cliff and Claire are not embracing white culture- they’re embracing hard work and economic success. To label these successes as ‘white’ is equally offensive, as it suggests some inevitable connection between blacks and poverty. Moreover, I am certain that if the airwaves were populated entirely with shows depicting black families living in the lower-class, these same critics would be outraged by such a misrepresentation.
In this blog I think I’ll just continue the flow of facebook, and the internet. So like many other bloggers, I’m on facebook a lot! I was thinking that I had the best excuse to be on facebook 24/7… I’m on exchange here in Montreal, my family and my best friends are either in Mexico or in an exchange program in Manchester or Switzerland. So I mean the only way I have to keep up with their doings is through facebook, so that’s why I have to check it all the time. Well that’s what I thought, but upon reflecting on why I do it, i think is a distraction I don’t mind. On one side I have the bunch of course packs, readings and homework and on the other I have party pictures and fun wall posts, it’s only too tempting to resist. And although I know I HAVE TO get all my school work done, facebook usually wins.
Although i love and use facebook on a daily basis, I have to point out that it has been a tool to discriminate. Let me elaborate, I was once again loosing time on facebook and I found an invitation to join a group. The group is called “por los que ahora HI5 se les hace una gatada!!!!” (for those who think that hi5 is trashy/tacky). Ok so i clicked on the title and the group description says that the group is dedicated to those who get tons of friend requests on hi5 and they’re all from nacos and nacas. For all of those not familiar with this word, according to urbandictionary, naco/a is “a pejorative word often used in Mexican Spanish to describe bad-mannered and poorly educated people. A naco is usually associated with lower socio-economic classes, but could also sometimes include the nouveau riche”. I’m not proud to say this, but many for Mexicans, social classes are the most important thing in the world and using this word is a must. The term is used so much and by almost everyone. Its like saying it’s cold or windy outside. No one really thinks about what they are doing when they call a person that. I used it a lot before until I realized how pejorative, hurtful and just how terrible the word is, so I have not called anyone like that for over 2 years!!
Anyway, the group has 723 members and the wall posts are just so offensive and rude. All of them basically thank god for the existence of facebook, how happy they are because it is “naco” free (some question how long that will last) and some are quite pleased with other sites such as “sonico” and “metroflog” because “nacos” use them and leave facebook clean. The group also features pictures of the “nacos” that send friend requests in Hi5 and those who use the website. Of course the group members have a ball criticizing the pictures.
It disturbs me to read these very racist comments and to think that lots of teenager and young adults have this mentality because it’s leading to no good. I can only talk about this particular example, but I’m sure that others like this can be found. What do you think?
Oh! Something I really wanted to add in the previous post is I was really proud of myself because I’ve been happily living without a cellphone for nearly 3 months. But now that I think about it, I’m ok with out the cellphone because I have a laptop and internet. Now I don’t see the point of having a computer if I don’t have Internet, although back home I got internet around 5 years ago and the high speed and wireless just 2 years ago. Here in Montreal my internet connection is wonderful, until someone uses the phone. During the phone call I’m left without it and feel quite quite useless. I get really anxious and can’t wait for the call to be over. This can’t mean anything good! I’ve become so so very dependant of the Internet that it just freaks me out! 5 years ago my life was great without internet and now I can’t bare the idea of not having it. Obviously 5 years ago internet wasn’t a big deal, my friends and family were with me, I could do my high school assignments with the books at home, and my classes didn’t have any online components. My mom says that this is addictive and so when I’m home she literally forbids me to even touch the computer for a while. The first days I’m moody and grumpy but after a while I really like to do other things and rest from the slave life I have when I have a computer.
I also would like to blog about facebook/ technology
first of all during my stage the only technology i was exposed to was an overhead and a television….but i’m pretty sure this was my cooperating teacher and “old school” teaching methods….this was quite different than when i was in highschool and every student had a laptop. I felt like i was going back in time….apperently the highschool I did my stage at had laptops and projectors to do presentations they just were not set up…. so the school had the technonogy it just wasn’t being used.
on facebook, i admit i’m addicted as well….but it’s almost embarassing….i mean think about life without facebook, how did we get by, not knowing what was going on with our “closest friends” I mean sure a huge plus it’s a great communication tool…
but a huge con the advertising that we are exposed to….i don’t know if others have noticed the advertisements on the left and right margins of your page….they are tailored to your individual intrests (or atleast the information you decided to put on your profile). example i often get notifications for upcoming concerts “in my area” for bands that i like, or are mentioned in my interests, the company is advertising to my interests.
Living in a multicultural society has not only enabled me to meet many different people, but it has helped me understand various cultures. Unfortunately, even though we live in a multicultural society, there are still people who are opposed to Canada’s diversity. To this day, I still hear people make racist comments, and there are many individuals who use stereotypes without thinking about the effects it has on others. Even though parents and teachers are trying very hard to educate the future generation about respecting differences, it seems as the media is trying to sabotage their efforts. Chapter 52 looks at how the media exhibits stereotypes and racism. This chapter has even stated that after 9/11 many news media used stereotypes to establish a relationship between terrorism and Islam. It shocks me that even news stations are using stereotypes as if they are acceptable. Reading this chapter made me remember an amazing film which addresses the issues of racism and stereotypes. The movie “Crash” depicts characters of many different races and how each character uses stereotypes and also how they are affected by them. For example, a Persian man and his daughter are immediately stereotyped as terrorists when they enter a gun shop. The owner of the gun shop, who is white, even calls the innocent man “Osama”, because he apparently looks Arab. What is unfortunate about this situation is that this family is considered to be Arab by all members of their community when they are actually Persian. This example shows how ignorant people are when it comes to the religions and feelings of others. This movie helps viewers realize the importance of accepting others, and that no one should be judged by their appearance. I encourage those who haven’t watched this movie to take the time to realize the powerful message behind “Crash”.
I posted a blog last week by accident, thought we had to have one, so I’ll just use that one for this week!
I second what Amy (post 39) says, lol.
I’m going to blog about facebook because I think it’s just the next step to our cyber lives. We no longer live and interact in the physical world. I have to admit I am a facebook member and I have spent many hours on and the facebook joke is how addicting it is but its not a joke. Networking has made the world so much smaller and I think as future teachers we should embrace the future and try to incorporate it into teaching. For example, making a facebook group for peer teaching and having the teacher review questions on the group once a week to help and guide the group. I mean a cell phone today can be and actually is more advanced than the first computers in use, i can get a call, text my friend and be on facebook all at the same time, it’s amazing! The world is literally at our finger tips and this includes facebook. The world is fast pace and my friend in London will get my message in seconds and I think it’s brilliant but my only concern is losing touch with reality. People need to be reminded that life should not be spent in front of a computer screen, getting out and seeing the world for yourself will be so much more satisfying.
I just saw a report that apparently the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has recently disrupted a plot to kill Senator Obama. It was said that although the men involved with the scheme did not think that they would ever really kill Obama, they would have died trying. Senator Obama was not the ony one targeted in the plot, 88 other black people were targeted but from what I read there were not any specific targets other than Obama. Now this is big news but I feel that it was amplified because Obama was targeted. Ofcourse I applaud the ATF for stopping this act from happening since no one deserves this kind of fate and we are showing that any racist acts should not be tolerated. These men were white-supremisists and people like this should not be allowed to run around. The only problem that I have with the news coming out is the timing. The documents were released today but the actual stopping of the plot happened on the 22nd of October. I wonder if the releasing of the documents was purposely delayed to today. This should have been big news five days ago! All I thought of when I read the articles was that I hope Senator Obama knows he will always be a target. Unfortunately America has too much racism in it to allow him to be in office for 4 years without attempting to kill him. Unfortunately I think that there are going to be more attempts. I believe Senator Obama will win the election and I am glad he will. I just wish todays world was ready for a black man to lead the US. I remember first hearing about the US elections way back when Hilary Clinton was still running. I had known about Barack Obama, and I was aware of the fact that he was black. I didn’t know though that it was such a big deal. I was very naive at the fact that it would be a big deal. Ofcourse there has never been a black president. I am not saying there should be a black president to “even things out” either. I think we should judge whether or not the person is capable of leading the country. Intelligence has no color. Leadership has no color. In my opinion those are the strongest assets to a president.
Immediately, while reading the chapters on racism this week, I thought of some situations I found myself in while away from this stressful, crazy thing called school (side rant) and plopped into a secondary school during stage.
There was one kid in a science class that every time you spoke his name, whether it to tell him to sit down or ask him for an answer or even just to say good morning, he would immediately respond with “It’s because I’m black isn’t it? Miss, that’s racist.” My CT didn’t even seem to have acknowledged the self-loathing attitudes that this kid was showing. I asked her if she had ever taken the time to know why he seemed to be so defensive and she didn’t even seem interested in knowing why. Did this kid act like this because he had some self-worth issues? Was it a defense mechanism playing of his peers joking attitudes toward his race?
I presented a Langston Hughes poem to a class of secondary three English students, it’s called “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and it is a beautiful poem about the history of African-Americans. It instantly created a riot in the class, they were caught up about the language used. “Isn’t that not right?” all of them chimed in. We discussed how language changes throughout history and during the time the poem was written, Hughes was using common language.
But are there not many derogatory terms used almost flippantly in everyday conversation nowadays that is considered highly offensive and rude when we pause to think?
Wow I do not know if any of that makes sense but ya..that’s what I got
I must admit after reading your blog and keeping up with the news I have been a little more concerned with the whole economic crisis we are falling into. What scares me the most is the fact that it seems like the Canadian government is trying to play it off like nothing is happening, so that Canadians do not get nervous and start panicking and pulling their money out everywhere and stop spending. Honestly you keep hearing on the news how they think it will be tight but we just might squeeze by without too much damage. I think the government needs to wake up and kick in to action, we need a plan so that we do not fall flat on our faces waiting for the US to try and fix their problems and it seems like that is what our government is doing. I think if there is a slightest chance we could be hit with the consequences of the economy we need to be ready with a plan so we come out on top. For me personally since I started hearing about all this I have stop spending money excessively on stupid things, and I hope to get all my stuff paid off so I do not suffer from the high interest rates we could experience in the near future. I am not too informed about all this information on the economy, but this is my personal opinion and this is my understanding of what has been going on….. I blogged on monday at 10:54pm thanks
I am going to blog about “women’s television.” I’m doing this mainly because of an incident that happened while I was at work. A regular customer, who the entire staff is on friendly terms with, made a particularly strange comment….even for him. He said to me ” You know, you come off so smart and then all of a sudden you mention Tyra Banks,Oprah or The View!” And I was surprised to find myself a tad offended. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard people bad mouth women’s television.Even us girls give them a hard time. But why? These shows, although overdramatic and sometimes cheesey, often have empowering messages behind them. I find often it’s shows like The View and The Tyra Banks Show that openly prensent opinion and provoke controversy and discussion for all genders. I remember not too long ago The View was chastisied for asking overly tough questions to presidential candidate John McCain. The cultural phenomena that is Oprah definitely attracts more than just a female audience; I know quite a few guys that have openly admitted to watching episodes. Tyra Banks, although definitely women oriented, has been openly critical of the media and done numerous shows on celebrity image awareness. Tyra has even done her show without any make up on and repeatedly explained how a team of people can make any person look like a celebrity. If all these “women shows” bring up such important issues, why are people so eager to label them as irrelevant or garbage TV? I don’t how “women’s television” got such a bad reputation; especially with women. Sometimes it seems to me that the majority of the female population has fallen out of love with Feminism; too eager to glamourize the past centuries of oppression.
One thing that everyone seems to forget about race is that it is not even real - it’s all just a social construct. So, why are we still so fascinated and easily agitated by the idea of races? Because the media shapes a lot of the way we think about race, as well as gender, religion, age, etc. And the media perpetuates many stereotypes about each of these. I always just thought of it as just being ignorant, but as chapter 18 suggests, some people today like to think that racism is not an issue, but this is actually a way that white power is maintained. There are so many messages that we get daily that enforce white power and we don’t even think about it or realise it. For example, think about how easy it is to buy a white doll or buy a book featuring white people. Now imagine trying to do that for any other race. It is not so easy. The media has so much power over our perceptions of race (well, almost any topic actually) that it may seem discouraging for those individuals, such as teachers and parents, who try to fight these stereotypes. But we as teachers must teach out students to challenge what they see in the media. Audiences and consumers have so much power, but the problem is that we don’t use it often enough. If we feel like something is not right, we can fight to make it right, just as chapter 18 describes Arab Americans getting Disney to rewrite parts of Aladdin.
As ridiculous as this may sound, I actually knew about the financial crisis in Iceland not because I saw it on the news, but because of soccer. There is a team in England owned by a group of Icelandic businessmen which has just been put up for sale since the recent economic crisis and they are having problems paying the players which is causing somewhat of a stir in the soccer world, considering the team in question calls London home. I was not aware that there were so many British investors in Iceland, and now after reading your comments it all makes sense why there would be such controversy about the sale of this club. These owners are getting completely ridiculed in the British press, but what I find ironic is the fact that the press only seems to care that there are several Britsh people that have money invested in Iceland, that has been lost, rather than the Icelandic people that are on the verge of bankruptcy. Putting sports aside, this financial crisis is affecting everybody around the world, and in the smaller countries like Iceland, a lot of the population is suffering just to survive and could another Great Depression be on the cards for these smaller countries? North American countries seem to be doing better these days, although the Canadian dollar is down to 0.77, it seems that because we do belong to that famous “triple alliance” that Dr.Steinberg mentioned, everything just seems to be falling into place for us, while other countries are struggling just to survive this financial disaster.
I’m another one who knows nothing about Iceland and pays very little attention to the world around us so i will blog about Anya R’s blog. I agree with Chris R. that our media has taken over our lives and I have to admit that I’m one of those who will not be able to survive with internet for the weekend and i believe that i’m not the only one like that out there. I was talking to my sister the other day about how everyone who owns a iphone these days are absolutely addicted to the WiFi capability integrated in it. They are constantly checking their emails and connected to facebook or going on youtube. I don’t own a iphone myself, but i’m stuck to my computer and laptop 24/7. I’m forever connected to internet, i never shut down my computer, i’m always signed in to msn and i check my emails at least once a day and go on facebook to check out other people’s updates. Some people might think that facebook is like violating one’s privacy, but i think that for those who doesn’t want to share their information and pictures with others have the option of making those info private or not open a facebook account at all. I don’t think that facebook can actually harm anyone and that it can be a useful and easy tool to stay connected with friends and family.
I found very interesting the readings for this week. I was reading Claudia’s (39) comment and I completely agree with her. It seems that there is a fight between the messages that are being sent by media against parents and teachers that try to educate their children in a certain way. I think that nowadays it is more common to be part of a multicultural society and there are many factors that contribute this. This is why it is important to teach children that every culture or group deserves to be respected.
I come from a not very big city, very close minded people (generalizing) and a very homogeneous society. It has been a few years since we have started seeing different people because there has been a considerable growth in the industry and many foreign companies have been opened there. This brings lots of foreigners to the city. I think that when people is not used to seeing different people, like in the city where I come from, they do believe and accept everything or almost everything that media presents from other cultures. This is why I believe that children should be taught to pay special attention media in order to do critical analysis and to do not believe everything that is said. But I think that the most important thing is that parents and teachers are aware of the impact media has on children and the way it forms their ideas and their behaviours.
I find it intriguing that everyone says we should get away from the U.S. as much as possible and blame them for what is happening to the international markets. If we look back over the past 60 years, when the economy was strong and being streamlined by the americans, (maybe a bit before iraq, you know, back when they wernt running one of their largest deficits in hisotry) i dont recall too many people trying to alienate ourselves from the Americans. Of course no one said we should become americans but everyone was happy to follow in the wake of a huge economy that would sky rocket the world with tons of riches (if you were nice enough to them). So of course we were nice to them. We wanted some of their spoils too.
Lets take a good look at oursevels. Look at what we have beocome: turncoats. Money hungry, narcissist backstabbers. This is just lovely. The economy crashes and instead of trying to find ways to fix it we (us and the media) just point fingers and try to predict how many points the TSX will drop.
I had an economics teacher in cegep and he taught us something very important: the economy is a cyle: it goes up and it goes down, we cant fight it, only ride it out. he also said that all economies will go tgrough some kind of hardships and some points of properity. now we can fight it, or lay back and accept it. regardless its going to happen, just the more we struggle against the reins of the economy the more irreperable damage we will do to our markets and lifestyles.
There are a few things that i dont like abou the bailout ideas in the states. I wont go into them, needless to say. thats one thing they should hnot be proud about. but just think how much the americans and the canadians have worked closely this past half century. I find it very petty that sinc ethe american economy is going down the toilet, we can very quickly go from friend to foe.
Just somehting to think about
I’ve been indeed scared for quite a while! When I was in high school I heard someone say, “When the US sneezes, Canada gets bronchitis”. That’s when I realized (and began tuning in) how much of our Canadian society is tied to that of the US. Whether it’s social, political, or economic, we have developed a dependency to them whether we like to admit or not. I don’t know if Canada will ever be able to dis-associate itself from the US. It is always easier to stand up to someone when you can then go back home on another continent. But we’re stuck right next door. I think that does influence our pansyness (Mexico’s pansyness as well). As for other countries, I wish they did stand up for themselves and against the American’s my way or the highway attitude more often. I do, however, find solace in the thought that “what goes up, must come down”. And like every empire in the history of mankind, the US will themselves eventually fall from podium (actually this also applies to dinosaurs!!!). I do wish this would happen sooner than later. But then I’m still stuck on the idea of “What about CANADA???” If countries were able to gather and put the US back in its place, what would happen to Canada? As mentioned above, because of our closely knit ties, I become unsure about the idea of seeing the US lose its power. It’s having to choose between the well-being of the world and avoiding potential negative effects for Canada. Maybe I’ll just move to Iceland!
For a radio story about Islamophobia in American elementary education, check out Act 1:
http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1163
A warning though, it may leave you in tears.
I am a Phys. Ed teacher and i have completed all my four stages at 4 completely different schools, one was a public high school in Lasalle, one was a private school in Westmount, one was an elementary school on the south shore and my last one was an elementary school in westmount. Phys Ed i find offers a different look into racism in schools. There is obvious racism in sport and between sports and i was so surprised to see it more in the elementary level than the high school level. All three elementary schools that i taught at were completely different regarding socioeconomic status, gender, race, etc… However all of the schools had issues regarding racism. They all centered around certain ethinicites and specific sports. For example, the italien students would all stick together and always want to play soccer and only soccer. They would make comments to other students whom were not italian and say they couldn’t play soccer and wouldn’t want anyone but an italian on their soccer team.
Another example was a group of african american children who always wanted to play basketball and nothing else and they too would stick together and not want anyone else to play on their team. It amazed me how children in elementary schools could be so racist and be so regarding sport.
I also do not know a whole lot about the economy so I am going to talk about the media (namely technology) and our reliance on it, as well as the new technological advances that I witnessed being integrated into my school during stage. Media has become such a vital part of our lives and I would consider it to be almost completely necessary for us to function on a day-to-day basis. The internet, television, cell-phones and Ipods are just some of the technology that the majority of people today are completely dependent on. How many people today would write a research report without even considering the internet as a source? Or go to the gym without an ipod glued to their ear? Being without these ever so prevalent forms of technology would seem like torture, but would it really be that bad? Considering there was a time when this was the reality, it seems as though we can only blame ourselves for this technologically centered obsession. We have forgotten what it’s like to improvise when the answer isn’t so easy, such as reading when we are bored as opposed to surfing the web or watching MTV. Our culture has become so needy that we no longer need to think for ourselves or search for answers; I mean why would we when it’s now right in front of us and so easy to attain?
In my stage for example, I noticed a few changes being implemented during the mere three weeks that I was there. They were just getting “smart boards” in their classes, which are interactive whiteboards and were beginning to create websites for each teacher to post homework assignments, due dates and upcoming events for parents and students to refer to. Now don’t get me wrong, I think that these are very effective tools to help students keep on track of their schooling and to create better visuals for learning. My only problem is that as a teacher it is making it too easy. They no longer have to create and research their own lesson plans when the majority is now available on the internet. Should we be relying so heavily on this technology when the whole goal of teaching is to demonstrate to students how to become innovative and resourceful? I think everyone should try a little harder to wean off these apparatus’s so we do not forget about the skills and mentality that got us here in the first place.
I agree with the previous blogger’s comment on our media/technology centered world. We rely so heavily on technology now a days, it’s like we’re scared to be by ourselves. If someone is walking alone on campus, how many times have you seen them pull out a cell phone and make a call, or plug an IPod into their ears? It’s like technology has become such an overwhelming presence in our lives we could never possibly walk around campus with nothing but our own thoughts in our heads. This is possibly one of the greatest drawbacks of our media centered world, it has cost us our ability to be able to think for our selves. People are tuned into technology and tuned out to what actually goes on around us. I think we have to be careful about this. Technology is obviously one a central point of our lives and that’s fine, but we have to be aware that there are other things out there, things that have always been there even before technology came along.
With reference to technology in the classroom, it is essential. Students today need technology, when technology is presented in the classroom you are able to see the students eyes light up. They suddenly become interested and engaged at the task at hand. However teachers must make sure to keep teaching on a personal level. So much of a child’s education happens outside of school. Whether it be in the home environment or the school corridors. There are so many factors which can prove detrimental to a child’s academic success. Since education is moving more and more out of the classroom, the teacher needs to ensure the student is receiving the personal care he/she needs to be able to succeed.
In no way is technology a bad thing, we just have to make sure to present it in the classroom appropriately so that we do not become detached from those around us.
Let’s face it; most of us rely on technology a bit too much. Whether it’s checking what’s new on facebook several times a day, compulsively using our cell phones to text, or listening to our iPods. It’s true that this type of technology can make us close our eyes to what’s going on in the outside world, but the fact is that technology is not a bad thing. Many people use facebook to communicate with friends they haven’t seen in a while. Going off to university can be hard, especially when you leave your friends and family behind. Even if it’s just to keep in contact with your friends and family, just to say hi when you’ve been busy, I think facebook is extremely useful. Also, people use facebook to plan events, like birthday parties and other gatherings. I know a lot of guys who only use facebook to check the events they’ve been invited to. As for the internet, many people use it to watch tv shows and movies, at whatever time is convenient for them. I often use the internet to help with my math assignments. There are tons of forums where you can ask others how to solve problems. The internet very useful, because it’s filled with the newest information. As someone mentioned earlier, they check the news daily on the internet. As for cell phones, texting is an easy way to communicate with others. I know a lot of people who are addicted to texting, but I myself find it kind of irritating when they can’t put their phones down for a second. IPods can also be really useful. For instance, I know people who can concentrate better on their work while they’re listening to music. Overall, technology has its downsides, but it can also be very positive. I’m left to wonder if with the increasing means of communicating with others (texting, facebook, instant messaging), will we become closer or more detached from those around us?
i think that technology like everything else in life can be a good thing or a bad thing. It can lead to more connection with people or it can also lead people to become detached from others. It’s a matter of balance and keeping it in perspective. I fear that kids that become too “addicted” to technology to early, compromise time that should be spent on activities, such as excersize or team sports. kids become socialized and learn many important lessons from participating in sports that just cannot be learned in time spent in front of the computer or TV, not to mention the excersize. similarly, a very important part of creativity develops during time spent doing things other than TV and computer such as playing instruments, drawing and make believe games. These things are very important for developing human connections. At the same time technology does allow us to be exposed to other cultures and lifestyles from other parts of the world that we would not normally be exposed to BUT, we have to realize that we don’t have control over how these places are being presented to us. There is alot of bias involved. and the real truth can only be found by living the experience personally. i think we have to be very careful with technology, use it to its advantages but respect the fact that it can be very dangerous and deceptiv e as well.
Technology isn’t ‘negative’ per say. It’s entirely in how people use it (like so many things in life). It’s easy to say that people require a balance - which is true for everything in life, however, the simple fact is a lot of people can’t find that balance. Kids are becoming addicted to technology because parents aren’t taking the appropriate measures to warning their children about technology. A lot of modern families watch dinner in front of the TV set. Not that this is in and of itself a negative aspect of life, or that it’s solely responsible for children getting addicted to technology, however, it certainly is one of many examples as to why children are becoming so addicted. Those in positions of preventing children from developing addictions to technology typically reinforce said behavior. In today’s classroom so much emphasis is put upon ’safe sex’ or drug addiction, but little to no concern is given towards technology addiction. Kids are never exposed to how negative it can in fact turn out to be, and consequently when they are addicted, they are caught off guard. Has a teacher, I find it important to introduce technology to children however I do believe that something can be said for the more traditional manners of doing one’s work. This can help children learn not to relay on solely technology and develop skills that may help them in the classroom
This blog may be appearing a little out of nowhere but I am going to write about Obama’s grandmother dying.Sadly today she lost her battle with cancer. The part that bothers me is that it was news. Now I am not saying that I do not care about it, but I feel the media goes a little too deeply into the lives of the rich and famous sometimes. The media goes in a asks questions and reports everything about everyone who is someone. I think it can be very wrong sometimes. I do not think that Obama is rocked by his grandmother’s passing because it is described as a peaceful death. He also knew about it beforehand that she was going to die soon. The fact that I know so much about it bothers me! This is something that the media could have let alone. He wishes for sure that she could have lived well into his Presidency so the fact the she passed the night before he gets elected (hopefully) sucks big time. He doesn’t need this to be constantly blurted out to him by reporters and the news the night before one of the biggest days in his life. The same goes for some people. WHO CARES THAT MADONNA AND ALEX RODRIGUEZ MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FREQUENTING EACH OTHER!?!?!? I am amazed that people were able to follow them both to Jerry Seinfeld’s place. The media should have some boundaries.
In response to James K.Z.: It is an interesting question that you raise…should the media have boundaries in the information that is circulated? This applies not only to celebrity actors, writers and self-made reality television stars, who, lets not forget, owe that same celebrity status to the media savages now detailing their every action. The media’s investment in these media stars is only truly paid off after they get years-worth of gossip footage. This media frenzy applies not only to its own stars but also to people discovered and used by the media to serve solely (or sole-less-ly) as appetizers to the grand media feast.
These people include run of the mill murderers, thieves, big money winners and big money losers, the occasional attempted suicidee and maybe a couple of car accident victims. I really cannot fathom why anybody should want to hear about the fortunes of these people whom they have never met, and who are now being used by the media as a twisted sort of disposable income. So, should the media have limits to how far they can drill into the lives of the general public?
The obvious answer is yes, but the less obvious answer is that they already do. And I’m not just talking about the fact that youth offender’s names are not available to be used by the press…I’m talking about the limits imposed by the few multibillion dollar conglomerates and governments who just happen to be richer (and therefore more powerful) than the media machine. Yes, they do exist. As proof, what does the general public know about Monsanto? What do they know about the Kennedy Assassination? What do they know about 9/11? Guantanamo Bay? What do they know about Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan? Now, tell me what they know about Obama’s dead grandmother.
I believe that it is senseless to debate the limits of media from such a sheltered perspective as our own. Our media is so limited, so spineless and SO controlled that we are caught wondering such ridiculous things as whether mass media needs a leash and collar. The truth is that media already has a choker, and it’s so tight that all we get to do is watch Obama’s dead grandmother die, may she rest in peace.
The media has wormed itself into every possible nook and cranny of our lives. There is nowhere you can turn and be media free. This actually reminds me of a trip I went on in CEGEP. It was actually for a gym class, a gym class that I decided to take on a spur of the moment. “Outdoor Survival”. The title of this course grabbed me because it sounded interesting and hey I thought it’d be awesome to partake in a “Lost” experience. Of course this course was nothing like the television show that I had wanted to imitate,. We were stranded in the middle of winter on a piece of land with no reminders of civilization in about a radius of maybe 5 kilometers. To dash the dream even more we were in the Arboretum and could hear the nearby highway. However why I bring this story up, is because I realized on these trips that if I want to run from Media, I need to do so consciously, I cannot expect for it to be done for me. Media is a wonderful thing don’t get me wrong, but it took me one night sleeping in a “snow hut” that I had helped to make, in minus 21 weather to truly realize what priorities should be forefront. Not only was nature beautiful and calm but when you take media and the drama it creates out, you are left with you and what is most important to you. Situations don’t seem that horrible or that impossible anymore so it is hard but every now and then it helps to take a step back and sometimes even out of this technological world…
Like a lot of people this week, I am going to blog about technology and its effects on our lives. I have to agree with what Kyle said in his blog, “technology is not negative per say”. It is true that a lot of people are living their lives completely dependent on technology, but this does not make it something negative, or something to be avoided. I believe that it has to do with the way we use technology. From my perspective, technology is suppose to make our lives easier, in the sense that it facilitates our lives. It’s crazy how our technology is advanced and I believe that it is our right to take full advantage of it. Furthermore, I don’t believe that technology is “negatively affecting” the children. If anything, I believe that it’s amazing that kids as young as 5 years old, now the basic knowledge to operate a computer! If anything/anyone is to blame, I believe it should be the parents for it is their responsibility to supervise their child, and to ensure that he/she does not get “addicted” to the new technologies. We are currently in the midst of a technological revolution, where communication is facilitated, and I believe that we should consider ourselves lucky. In a sense, I think this is also the reason why I think this course is so important; in a way, it is somewhat of an introduction to a new era!
I want to comment about the “Obsession” movie that was mentioned in class. I think that atleast in this day and age, people should educate themselves enough to know better than to stick to blatant stereotypes. The fact that people still adhere to these perceptions really saddens me. Media can be a negative thing when it is used as such. Take for example campaign ads during elections. Democrats are often portrayed as too easy going, so much so that they will side with others before thinking about America itself. I’m still trying to get over the notion that even after seven years, Americans still consider all things Muslim to be terrorist is just pathetic. This is where negative media comes in. Not only does the media portray anything Islamic as dangerous, they promote it. The example Shirley gave in class about the Ontario boys is a prime example. If I, as a Muslim, were to think about plotting a death, it would be considered an act of terrorism. However, if a Christian were to do something like that, it would be labeled as something entirely different. I think it’s about time people invest some of their time and intelligence into getting to know facts about media and religion better.
I would like to comment about what was said in class about that movie “Obsession” and all the things that media has done to give Muslims that terrible reputation. I think that this not only happens with Muslims, but with other cultural groups as well. Media tends to follow a certain pattern when describing or representing certain group, this leads to the acceptance of what is being presented. A couple of weeks ago I started to watch a show called “Weeds”. It is about a white young American mother that is raising her two sons all by herself since her husband died from a heart attack. She became a drug dealer to sustain her family and keep the same lifestyle they have had always. The family has a hard time as they lost the father and the youngest son, who is about six years old, is the one that has been affected the most. He has attitudes that worry his mother and he even goes to psychological therapy. In the last episode I watched, from the first season, this boy is playing with a little girl. He says they will play terrorists, so he takes out his video camera, puts on his head a paper bag with holes for his eyes and starts taping. The scene really impressed me. The boy had a sword, he had the girl on her knees and tied and he was pretending to have this girl kidnapped, after saying things as if he were a terrorist he “cuts” the girl’s head. The boy actually took off a doll’s head so that his video would be more real. The boy tries to show his mother several times the video he made, but she never has time to see what her son did. After a day or so, the woman’s brother shows her the video and then she realizes her son needs more attention. I think that this is very common these days.
We live in a stressed and time consuming world that does not let us pay attention to important things. I think that parents sometimes do not pay attention to their children and do not even worry about what their children are learning from media. I would say that some of them do not even see media as a way of learning but only as entertainment, which only makes things worse as children will not have an education on how to receive the messages that are being presented.
I think you make a good point about the lack of attention on what media children are watching today by using the example of weeds. however, i think you missed the most important and best thing about that show, and it also related to Obsession.
We talked in class about how the media focuses on only a minute percentage of the Muslim population when talking about these extremists. The same can be said about all stereotypes. The best thing about the show weeds, is that it breaks down a huge stereotype about drug use, and the idea that the majority of drug trafficking and violence is in the urban centers, and the “ghettos”. However, this show is based around a middle-age, upper-class, white community in the suburbs, and the lifestyle this woman has been able to maintain by selling drugs. Granted, this begs the question if this is glorifying drug-dealing as much as rappers bragging about their pasts, but the point is that the show eliminates a certain stereotypical aspect to most drug or police related shows.
Again I have to agree with Theodore on this issue. While I myself am not a fan of the show weeds, just not my style, I do understand the value of breaking down sterotypes that this show does. The idea that all drug dealers are from the hood, living in crack houses and in the “ghettos” is just obsered. Just think of here in montreal. Who has or had the biggest monopolization of the drug market? Why the Hells Angels. A group of older white canadian male bikers. Also if you take time to think about it, the dealers you see sometimes are just the small time pushers, normally those facing poverty, which here in canada is most those of new immigrant families. The ones at the top of this drug chain are those guys you see driving the expensive cars and living in the pricy homes. In the middle of this chain you have the “Weeds” characters. Suberban livers.
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