Not getting the point of purchasing DVDs and CDs

All weekend I was sooooo (a ridiculous amount, really, almost pathetic-like) excited about watching Elf on the tube. Mind you though, I HAVE THE DVD!

So what makes watching a movie on a TV channel, listening to a song on a radio station, or watching a movie in a theater versus renting it more appealing?

I always wondered this. I’ll hurry home just to catch a movie that I already have on DVD. I’ll move the antennae of the radio to make the sound of a song just right, when all I really have to do is load up the actually CD.

I get the appeal of going to the theater to watch a movie instead of just renting it though. The experience at the theater, with the surround sound action and the gigantic screens lets you really get into the whole movie experience. It’s a whole lot better than watching it on my dinky TV, that’s for sure.

I think it’s pretty stupid that I get out of my way to hear or view something that I already have. We buy DVDs and CDs for convenience, so we can watch it wherever and whenever we want to. Obviously I’m not getting that. =P

I think I do what I do because of a sense of wanting to get the most out of it. I’ll watch and/or listen to movies and/or songs on TV or on the radio because it’s being provided to me; I feel as if I should take advantage of that. If I don’t watch Elf tonight (watching it now by the way) I’d feel cheated somehow. Stupid I know. It’s just one of the millions of idiosyncrasies that makes me feel like a butt every now and then.

And now, I’m going back to paying my full attention to Elf. Will Ferrell ROCKS!!!

The Blogger says "Whew"

Pretty soon bloggers won’t have to worry about those pesky libel lawsuits. The City University of New York’s new Graduate School of Journalism is being awarded a $50,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to make an online “rule book” to educate bloggers on legal risks to blogging. The guide will have the top 10 rules and guidelines all bloggers should know, rules touching on topics from libel to copyright issues.

Journalism Director at CUNY’s Baruch College Geanne Rosenberg will be heading the project, while brain of the popular blog BuzzMachine Jeff Jarvis is lending a hand.

Jarvis blogs that this could not have come at a more opportune time. There have been a slew of lawsuits against bloggers. The Media Law Research Center has comprised a list of lawsuits reported.

This comes as a relief and a dose of fresh air to many. Although some bloggers are professional writers, the majority of bloggers found on the web are amateur, citizen writers who do not know the legal hassles they can get in when posting a message with a copyrighted image, or a hateful message about another person. CUNY’s online guide will be a great contribution in keeping the integrity of journalism and our right to free speech.

Mukhtar Mai

I was getting my daily fix of news on the BBC when I came across a name and a story that brought tears to my eyes, and at the end, made me proud of a sister thousands of miles away.

Her name is Mukhtar Mai and this is her story.

Mai was a 30-year old divorcee when it happened. Dragged into a hut and gang-raped by four men was her “punishment”. The savages took their turns with her and afterwards paraded her around naked in front of powerless onlookers, all this because her 12-year old brother Shakoor was seen in the company of a Mastoi woman. The influential Mastoi tribe claimed that Shakoor’s actions brought disgrace and shame to the Mastoi clan and Mai’s rape would avenge their “honor”.

Cases of sexual assault and violence on women are common in Pakistan. Every year hundreds are raped and murdered with no repercussions for justice. Mai’s case, however, is different. In this story, the woman fought back.

Although she feared for her life, Mai was courageous enough to speak out. She did not keep silent and eventually her case was heard and tried. In August 2002, six men were sentenced to death. Four of them were convicted of rape and two were convicted of aiding rape.

Mai’s case has many twists and turns however. After the conviction, an appeals court reversed the trial court’s verdict. But tenacity and strength has led Mai to take her case all the way up to the highest judicial forum, Pakistan’s Supreme Court. An ultimate verdict is still pending.

Mai is a hero because she faced the exacerbating odds against her. She did not give up. She took her strength and forced the world to hear her story. She makes me proud to call myself a woman.

Side note: Mai is now an international women's rights activist. In 2005, Mai was named Glamour’s “Woman of the Year”. She has also built a school in her village with the government money awarded to her as compensation, and currently has a blog on the BBC (excerpts of her blog in English).

Santa Clause Makes Fun of Canadians

The wholesome Tim Allen (“wholesome” excluding the past cocaine addiction) plays jolly Saint Nick in the family comedy The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause and makes a mockery out of Canadians in the process.

The North Pole is once again kicking Santa’s (Allen) butt. Elves are tugging at him from every direction. Jack Frost (Martin Short) is trying to steal his gig as the face of Christmas; and pregnant Mrs. Clause (Elizabeth Mitchell) is close to calling it quits.

In efforts to keep the hormonal Mrs. Clause happy and out of his hair, Santa has a brilliant idea to bring his in-laws to the North Pole to keep the wife busy. But the dilemma of keeping the North Pole a secret presents itself. How will he do it???


Let’s just pretend ALL of the ELVES are CANADIANS!!! EH!!!

Santa ends up drugging the in-laws with sleeping dust (compliments of the Sand Man), flying them to the North Pole and deceiving them to believe that they are actually in Canada and Canadians are actually little people.

Throughout the whole ploy, the Elves are being tasked to act human, have a slight wardrobe change and say “eh” after every sentence. The town looks almost exactly the same, which would bring a visitor to think “damn these short Canadians sure do love Christmas.”

I’m not Canadian, but damn, even I got offended! The movie simply enforced the notion that Americans really don’t think much of Canadians. If the in-laws can easily be fooled to thinking that little people with pointed ears, sparkling cheeks and surprisingly youthful looks can be Canadian simply because they said “eh” at the end of every sentence, what does that say about American attitudes towards other people and cultures? Is there merely one thing, like how Canadians say “eh”, that can categorize us Americans??? Hmmm…I wonder.

My MCOM 72 teacher tasked the class to find an international website. I wanted to find one based in Laos, the country in which my parents are from. Before I get to the most credible looking website I found, here’s some background.

Laos, also known as the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country surrounded by Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. It is a peripheral nation, having a GDP of 12,130 (according to the CIA World Factbook). It is the poorest country in Southeast Asia.

Like other peripheral countries lacking adequate resources and infrastructure to boost their economies, Laos is trying to make a name for itself in the tourism market. The Lao National Tourism Administration launched their Ecotourism Laos website in 2005 in hopes to attract travelers to their culturally rich country.

Ecotourism entails traveling to foreign countries to experience their local cultures, wildlife and adventures without disrupting the cultural heritage. The website focuses on just that.

Ecotourism Laos is as thorough as they come, providing various attractions, travel information, travel services and ecotourism resources. A photo gallery gives a sneak peak of all the cultural richness Laos has intact and a nifty “DO’s and DONT’s” section prepares you for a Lao adventure.

I was only able to find Lao-based websites promoting tourism, which makes their lack of infrastructure even more evident. Apparently, they do not have great means for technology. But that is what makes it interesting. Even one of the poorest nations in the world has a website. Technology seems to be in the grasp of everyone and is slowly homogenizing the world.


Side note: If you are someone who is interested in experiencing rich culture and wildlife, consider a trip to Laos. It is a great place, beautiful and vibrant. It is one of the world’s forgotten gems.

MY BAD...question answered

Someone is reading!!! But I made a boo-boo. Below is a comment made to my last blog.

I'd just like to notify you that VFXY is a photoblog syndication service, meaning that we take the best of many different photoblogs on the web and combine them into one tool for easy, useful viewing. On a side note the image you have on your photoblog was actually ripped from my own photoblog: http://nexx.spyral-productions.com. I would appreciate a nice credit ;-) Best.

Thanks for the clarification redcameron. Sorry for the mix up. Great picture. =) Link to redcameron for some awesome pictures people!

Photoblogs

This MCOM blog started just as a class assignment. It's 40% of the grade so YEAH I was going to do it. Week after week, however, I've been finding really nifty articles and facts to blog about, and I must say...I am starting to like this blogging thing. It’s liberating. I am enjoying the opportunity to blog my thoughts and opinions and to actually “publish” it.

This afternoon I was surfing the web and found a photoblog. I didn’t know there was such a thing. It is called VFXY Photos and it’s a photoblog syndication community. I don’t know what that means but it has spectacular pictures. It sounds like a blogging community for photographers. Apparently, you can track the world’s most popular blogs on there. It doesn’t have DOOCE I’ve noticed, but then again DOOCE isn’t a photoblog.

If you would like to see some amazing pictures, click here. Happy viewing!

What Makes a Story News?

A man is charged for the genital mutilation of his two-year-old daughter. Khalid Adem, an Ethiopian immigrant, is sentenced to 10 years in prison for cutting off his daughter’s clitoris in 2001. According to the BBC News, the state of Georgia found him guilty of aggravated battery and cruelty to children.

Removing a female’s clitoris to preserve a girl’s honor has been a long standing tradition performed by numerous African nations. So why is it considered a “newsworthy” story here for us Americans? The conviction of Adem is the very first of its kind here in the United States.

Americans are a selfish bunch. We only wish to hear or read news that will affect us. We need to be captured by a sexy headline; otherwise, we bypass the story quickly. Each story must have some newsworthy value. Timeliness, proximity, prominence, human interest, impact, conflict and weirdness are all aspects that make a story newsworthy.

We would not have cared much for the story of the poor child having her clitoris, or her “womanhood”, removed by her father’s scissors if it was not an event that occurred here in the U.S. The story has proximity.

This story also has impact. As mentioned above, Adem’s conviction for the genital mutilation of his daughter is the first such case in the United States. Although a few are directly affected by the particular event, the conviction of Adem may produce hesitation for other parents nationwide to commit genital mutilation on their children.

There is also an unusual aspect to the story. Genital mutilation is common in places such as Africa, but not common here in the U.S. Therefore, this story is unusual; and the weird is always newsworthy.

Journalists and editors must always take into account newsworthy values in their stories. Otherwise, knowing us selfish Americans, if it doesn’t have anything to do with us, we just don’t care.

Punished for the Past

The Mercury News article "Age, time can't erase her past as a Nazi guard" brings up an interesting question--Is being punished for a past life fair?

Eighty-four year old local woman, Elfriede Rinkel, is being deported from the U.S. because of the recent unveiling of a life-long secret.

Rinkel, widow of a German Jew and a long-time contributor to various Jewish charities, was a Nazi guard at the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany from 1944 to 1945. Although many decades have passed with Rinkel living a peaceful life and being of no harm to anyone, U.S. law requires her to be tried in court and deported for her participation in Nazi atrocities. Rinkel, at the budding age of 18, opted to be a Nazi guard in the all-women’s concentration camp because it paid better than working in the factories. She says she never harmed any prisoners during her year-long employment.

However minor her participation was in Nazi atrocities, should she still be tried and deported? Or should she be pardoned since she has lived most of her life as a good American citizen?

I am torn. I am not a Jew. I do not have a direct link to the Holocaust. I do not have any life-long repercussions from the Holocaust. Therefore, a pardon from me would not be of any significance. But I do feel great sympathy for Rinkel. She lived the majority of her life here in America. She is of no harm to anyone. But she is still being sent back to a past that she was trying so hard to forget. It is truly sad.

I do recognize the justice in the law, however. The Holocaust was so horrible that there needs to be punishment. We need to punish those who participated in such a grave, incredibly inhumane event; or else, it may happen again. Like I said earlier…I am torn.

Blogging, an art?

Wasn't aware there was a technique to blogging. Found some tips for writing better blogs.

Another one bites the DOOCE...

A former employee for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has been dooced. The person admitted to blogging about Foley’s inappropriate emails to a former page on their website. Although the scandal was already leaked to the media, the blog was the first publication to be put in a public forum.

HRC’s Vice President David Smith will not reveal the identity of the individual (we’ll just refer him as Mr. Dooce), but he did say that Mr. Dooce used the group’s campaign resources inappropriately, and thus was fired for it.

HRC, the well known gay rights group, is a strong supporter for Democratic candidates. Critics argue that Mr. Dooce may have blogged the Foley emails in attempts to drive support for the Democratic Party nearing election time.

However, HRC maintains that they did not know of the blog prior to the publication. “The Human Rights Campaign,” says Smith “believes in being very aboveboard in our political activity.”

What is being overlooked here is the Foley scandal itself. The issue of a man, being of superior position, making advances toward subordinate young pages is taking a back burner to politics. Once again, this drama queen (politics) steals the thunder, and Mr. Dooce is the one paying for it.

My sympathies goes out to Mr. Dooce. You have done a good thing by exposing Foley for what he really is.

All for the Wrong Reasons

People will take desperate measures to be thin. From going under the knife to going on crash diets, people are going to extremes—the new trend—taking off label medication.

The Today Show’s Matt Lauder covered this desperate-to-be-thin trend early this morning. The trend, doing more harm than good, entails taking various mixtures of pills to curb appetite. Doctors are prescribing mixed “cocktails” ranging in ingredient from anti-depressants to anti-seizure pills.

Taking off label medication has been shown to work for some, but serious side affects can be experienced. Patients have been known to have adverse affects from these pill concoctions, from balding to sporadic body numbness.

The real question is, how the hell is this legal? I was under the impression that doctors prescribe specific medications like anti-depressants to help, I don't know, DEPRESSION. Legitimate doctors are prescribing drugs intended to help serious medical conditions for weight loss?

Doctors should be using their practices to take on more serious medical conditions, not to humor the desperate-to-be-thin fanatics. It is disappointing that drugs intended for serious medical conditions are being frivolously distributed for weight loss. These same drugs can be given to those who need them the most. Millions of people, mostly in third world countries, do not have access to needed drugs because of a lack of government infrastructure and funding. But we, shallow, Americans are using them to curb our hunger in order to look like Nicole Richie.

How far will we go for beauty I wonder, and how far will doctors go for money?

A Message for All Women Out There

“Depictions of subordination tend to perpetuate subordination. The subordinate status of women in turn leads to affront and lower pay at work, insult and injury at home, battery and rape in the streets.” -Zelezny

John Zelezny summaries a Court of Appeals decision from a 1985 case that challenged the porn industry and their discrimination against women for depicting women in degrading roles. Unfortunately, women around the world did not win the case.

Day in and day out, you find images of women in nothing but subordinate, degrading roles. In porn, rap videos, and even the Howard Stern show, all you see are women serving the needs of chauvinistic pigs. They are asked to participate in demeaning activities, showing more skin than necessary, and getting their asses slapped while being called “honey” for doing a good job.

Although I am infuriated and disgusted with these pigs that promote and generate these degrading images of us, I am more angered that my own kind (women) would allow themselves to be viewed in that way. Is it the money? Is it the less than 15 minutes of fame? What is the appeal to partake in such degrading roles? Why would a self-respecting woman volunteer to shake every body part in front of hooting and hollering men that see them as just a piece of meat?

Wake up!!! If you need the attention, go to your family and friends. If you need the money, get a REAL job. Be smart and go to school. Show the world what we are really capable of. Don't send us centuries back when we've made such great progress.

Only until we, women, stand up for ourselves by not participating in such degrading roles will we be seen as MORE. The quote above speaks truth. If women are constantly seen as things to conquer and control, we will experience just that. If by 10 years from now, I am still making 75 cents to a man’s dollar, I am going to raise HELL for those women who help promote the idea that we are subordinate to men. Women have come a long way to get to where we are now. The thought of other women sending us backward, or keeping us stagnant makes me livid.

Pre-DOOCED?

Professor Lilly Buchwitz wrote about another DOOCED incident. It seems Canadian Politician Garth Turner is another victim of the DOOCE-lexia that's circulating around like a virus having everyone fired from their jobs. Just like from blogs, people are also getting fired for the content of their other personal web pages like MySpace. How come these people aren’t learning???

There are known incidences where someone’s blog ultimately prevents them from getting a job as well. So I wonder, can we say that someone is “pre-DOOCED” when their blog is the reason for them not getting hired?

This occurrence happens just as frequently as when someone gets DOOCED, so let’s figure out a name for this just as embarrassing occurrence. Hit me up and tell me your suggestion for a name.

So far my creative juices aren’t working in full effect, thus the lame “pre-DOOCED”. =P

***For those of you who aren't familiar with what I'm talking about, read the below:

DOOCED (compliments of Urban Dictionary)

Getting fired because of something that you wrote in your weblog.

"Blogger Heather B. Armstrong coined the phrase in 2002, after she was fired from her Web design job for writing about work and colleagues on her blog, Dooce.com" (Source: Yahoo.com)

Last October, Delta Air Lines flight attendant Ellen Simonetti was fired, she said, for what her supervisor called a misuse of uniform. Simonetti had posted on her personal blog, Queen of Sky (now called Diary of a Fired Flight Attendant), pictures of herself, in her uniform, on an empty plane. Her blog also contained thinly veiled work stories.

What came first, the serial killer or the internet?

Obviously there have always been sick individuals lurking in our societies, doing unbelievably horrendous things. The infamous Jack the Ripper, the murderer wrecking havoc in London during the 1800’s, can be viewed as a prime example.
But has the internet spawned a new group of serial killers, pedophiles, necrophilia’s, or the other kinds of sick individuals who perform bestiality, masochism, etc.?

There is no refuting that the internet is a great resource for these sick people. There is also no arguing that sick people have been around even before the advent of the internet. But I ask you, through the ease, level of vast resource, and level of anonymity that the internet provides, has the internet ultimately led to the creation of more sick individuals?

Before the internet, it was harder for pedophiles to get a hold of pictures depicting children engaging in sexual acts. This being illegal and all, one would have to go through tremendous leaps and bounds just to get such pictures of this sort of erotica. The same goes for those intrigued by bestiality. They would have to go to Mexico to see the infamous “Donkey Show” in order to get their sick jollies. But now all they have to do is log on to the internet and make a quick click of the mouse to see such things.

Through the internet, you can even get in touch with others who have the same interests as you do. There have been many cases found where molesters are reaching out to other molesters to compare notes.

Even the twisted blockbuster movie Hostel was inspired by the “sick shit on the internet”. The producers of the horror flick came up with the premise when coming across certain websites that offered the opportunity to partake in sick, violent, illegal acts in exchange for money. Through the websites, individuals from poor countries were offering the bodies of their relatives and themselves for cash.

It’s hard to discern whether the internet has really spawned a new level of low in our society, but it’s easy enough to see that it is a great tool for the good and the bad in our world.

Must See TV

When first brainstorming what my opinion of “important television” was, I came up with nada. The only thing I noticed was that all of my favorite television shows had the same genre – comedy. I came to the conclusion that I watch Friends, Will and Grace, and Everybody Loves Raymond to laugh and get out of my world for an episode or two; because after a long hard day, it’s nice to sit back and laugh for a couple of minutes. Shows like these, the ones that have you laughing until your abs hurt, I can’t live without. However, are they important shows?

Before last Thursday’s MCOM 72 class, I thought they were, at least they were to me. But now I know that “favorite” or “good” shows may not be the “important” ones. Important shows are the ones that teach you something; or the ones that have social relevance to them; or the ones that have an underlying moral. After reassessing what I considered important, I came up with these three:

1. The Cosby Show
2. Who’s the Boss
3. The Voyage of the Mimi (LOVE THAT NAME!)

I know what you’re thinking, “Who’s the Boss, important…what???” Let me explain. But first comes first.

The Cosby Show is relevant to our society because it stars an all-Black cast which represented a wholesome, Black, middle-class family. Before The Cosby show, did you ever see any other show which starred an all Black cast that represented good, wholesome values? No. What you did see was dysfunction and the ghetto if a show were to revolve around a Black family. The show allowed society another perspective; there are good, smart African American families. Minorities have long been victims of the negative stigma that the media portrays them as. Usually Black, Hispanic, Asian actors are cast as drunkards, criminals, or just side-kicks. The Cosby Show has helped minorities get a good face and a good name within television.

Who’s the Boss also gave us a different perspective, but this time it touched base on the different gender roles within our American society. Here we have a tough, tattooed, Italian man living his life as a housecleaner for a hugely successful, career oriented WOMAN!!! (Love the premise!) We live in a world where there are “norms” for our genders when regarding the workplace. Who’s the Boss helps break this so-called-norm and makes us question whether gender really counts when careers and success is involved. The show promotes the idea that in the work arena, a woman can do anything a man can do and a man can do anything a woman can do.

The 1984 television series, The Voyage of the Mimi, was another important program. Not because it provided some different perspective but because of its educational value.
According to a review made by the The Christopher W. Forsythe Project, “The Voyage of the Mimi and The Second Voyage of the Mimi are groundbreaking programs created by The Bank Street College of Education. They were among the first multimedia materials to use interactive technologies in an inquiry-based, integrated approach to teaching and learning for the middle grades, with an emphasis on science and mathematics.” Need I say more?

So those are my three picks. What are yours?

By jove I think she's got it!!!

For all of those frustrated bloggers who are pulling out their hair because you’re not on the Blogger in beta program, rest assured there is help.

There is a way to switch your already existing Blogger account to the new Blogger in beta program. It only takes a couple of minutes and the steps are really easy. However, keep in mind that Blogger in beta is still in its very early stages and some of you (hopefully not that much) won’t be able to make the switch just yet.

Also, don’t fret about losing any material or stored information. The switch moves everything. The only change will be your log-in information. After the switch, you will have to log-in using your Google account information.

I’ve copied and pasted the instructions below. Good Luck! =)

How do I switch to Blogger in beta?

The Blogger in beta program is going to start out small, so only a low percentage of people who log in to Blogger will see the option to switch over. If you're one of them, you'll see a blue box in the sidebar of your dashboard highlighting the new Blogger in beta. Click the "learn more" link there and we'll walk you through the process of switching your account.

Part of this change involves converting your Blogger account into a Google Account. If you already have a Google Account, log in with your Google Account email address and password when prompted. A confirmation message will appear to indicate success.

If you do not have a Google Account, you will be given the option to create one. Your new Google Account will automatically be linked to your Blogger account.

Blogger has a new Terms of Service so be sure to read and accept it when it is presented.
That's all there is to it. From this point on, you'll log in to beta.blogger.com, instead of the usual www.blogger.com, to access your account's new features. Remember also to use your new Google Account login information.

If you don't have the link on your dashboard, don't despair. We'll be adding more and more people as we go along, so eventually everyone will be able to switch.

(For more information, go to beta.blogger.com and click on the “help” link located on the bottom.)

Shock Jock Stern

Howard Stern, the "King of ALL Media", the controversial shock jock, the blatant womanizer, the “say anything I damn well please” entertainer… is a brilliant man.

This media mogul knows how to catch the audience’s attention. Through much controversial banter, Stern has sky-rocketed to the top. He is ranked one of the highest paid radio personalities in America. On his show, he speaks his mind on a vast array of subjects which range from race, to sexual orientation, to politics. He lures his victims, other-wise known as his audience, with his witty humor and unrelenting remarks that often offend but at the same time intrigues his listeners.

Stern has had a huge influence on America’s talk radio medium. In terms of the development of the radio as a communications medium, Stern has helped develop it by widening the audience, therefore, making it a stronger medium for communications. Stern, along with other controversial shock jocks who have run-amuck on our airwaves, have tapped into a resource (audience) that’s harder to attain, the younger crowd. Unlike the conservative, politically correct disc jockeys also out there, Stern is appealing to a wider range of demographics.

Stern’s crass and crude, highly controversial show draws in listeners starting from the age of 18 and up. Although the majority of his listeners are male, he does have female listeners as well. In short, Stern has listeners ranging from young to old, from male to female, from rich to poor, and from suburban residents to urban city residents.

With all that said, it’s too bad Stern doesn’t use his wide range audience show to broadcast any relevant information. =P

"A Face in the Crowd" Unveils the Power of Propaganda

A Face in the Crowd is a classic movie portraying the ease of the mass media’s domination over a credulous audience. Acclaimed actor, Grammy Award winning singer, writer and producer, Andy Griffith gives us a taste of the thin line between love and hate. Griffith, who plays a charismatic, loud-mouthed, eccentric, country drunkard, first captures the audience with his good natured spirit and "home on the range" songs before making the audience despise him as fame and fortune changes him for the worst. Also starring in the film is Academy Award winning actress Patricia Neal who plays Marcia Jeffries, a head-strong, independent journalist who gives Larry Rhodes (Griffith) a break into the media biz along with an oh-so-catchy nickname, "Lonesome Rhodes".

The Face in the Crowd is worth the couple of bucks to view the potential power of the mass media on its audience and the psychological affects fame can have on a person.

Intending to create controversy and to take radio to another level, Jeffries interviews a drunk drifter (Griffith) in a local jail and discovers his illustrious super-star potential. She tracks him down and persuades him to star on her uncle’s radio show. As fast as he finds female companions in this movie, and that is FAST, does he find greater opportunities to exploit his fame and everyone else around him. With every show and with every quirky song, Rhodes gets more famous and becomes a HOT commodity for money hungry media giants. He becomes his audience’s best friend, their idol and their consumer advisor. Ultimately, he becomes so influential from his immense popularity and his ability to manipulate, that he steps into the position of a political adviser.

Viewers will appreciate the moral of the story. Academy Award winning director, Elia Kazan, does a tremendous job conveying the power that the mass media can hold on its audience. Although produced in the 1950's, Kazan's clear understanding and portrayal of propaganda and the mass media can easily be applied the issues of today. A Face in the Crowd is the perfect movie for those gullible enough to get suckered on a daily basis. This movie will make you think twice about your next purchase, political vote, and new best friend.

Online Confessionals

A new trend has surfaced, merging the teachings of centuries old Christianity with the modern, innovative technology of the internet – online confessionals are now hitting the mainstream and getting national attention.

Much like millions of groups and organizations out there, churches have jumped on the bandwagon when it comes to using one of the leading forms of media, the internet. Churches have utilized the internet to spread their teachings across the globe and now are taking it to the next step – online confessionals. Churches like the Christian Universal Life Church are launching online confessionals that can be accessed with the simple click of the mouse. These confessionals keep their visitors anonymous and are receiving great praise because of the sheer convenience it provides. Visitors are able to confess their sins as well as express any other issues that trouble them within the comfort of their own home.

However, opponents of online confessionals are speaking out saying online confessionals are not the same as real confessionals that are presented to a qualified priest. Instead, they are confessed to an inanimate object, the computer. Also in question is if forgiveness for one’s sins can be received over the web.

Pastor Craig Groeschel of Life Church says that their mysecret.tv confession website is not a confessional but is considered “step one”. Because confessing over the website does not involve absolution, it can not be considered a true confessional. Instead, the website is the first step for the visitors. It encourages their visitors to attend the actual church and/or view the church’s online worship service.

There’s a mixed message that churches like Life Church is putting forth. They advertise and encourage their members to partake in these “online confessionals” through such websites as mysecret.tv but at the same time are not considering them true confessionals that allow true absolution. This can be very confusing to a person that is already haunted by personal troubles and is in need for an outlet for forgiveness and peace of mind.

The gray line needs to be cleared, especially if there are websites out there providing “online confessionals” for a fee.