Election...I know I didn't write about it, but I'll explain why.
One: The reaction on both sides was less than desirable, at least in many parts of the country some of which were close to home.
Two: I didn't want to rant my own views and be scorned for doing so...I figured if I waited a bit it would die down a little. We'll see.
Three: I've been overly busy with the finishing up of my quarter here.
Now...a few words from my side of things:
We have to give him a chance; there is no other option. It is done.
I had hopes for Barack Obama when he began his campaign. I voted for him, as a registered Democrat, in the primaries. As the months progressed I found better policies in the campaign of John McCain. I will gladly say that I voted for John McCain in the general election (by way of early voting). My reasons were simple. My reasons were rational. I looked at all sides of the issues and I consider myself a moderate voter and political thinker. Considering my fiscally conservative views and in support of the small business my father runs I had to vote for McCain, especially with the potential blocking of the filibuster in the Senate. I firmly believe in checks and balances.
I also firmly believe that everyone has a chance to be president and that shouldn't be a race fight. I think the issue did turn into a race fight in several areas of the nation, not all. I also firmly believe politicians should make a conscious effort to be more true in their words. I think if they have a plan it should be clear and pursued. I think President Bush failed exponentially in his original plans. True, 9/11 was a throw off the course, but Iraq was a choice to lose sight of the goals originally in place.
My concern is that we weren't and aren't ready for this. I hope I am proved wrong. I would love to be wrong in this case, but I am wary. I am always wary when someone new takes over the biggest role in the country. Change is scary. So I do hope this is a change we can believe in...that remains to be seen.
NOTE: This was not meant to incite emotion, just to give another angle to the election, one that seems fairly stated.
If you would like to know what I mean by race fight this video explains it. Voting based on color is an improper use of your right to vote. Please stay informed. It will benefit everyone in that way. Thanks.
10.31.2008
Art depicts life? Maybe for some
Now, back to the poem I posted before...
It in fact serves a purpose. I look at poetry and feel that it has many and any interpretations. It is written for a purpose and has a significant reading to the author, but a good poet should assume the same meaning will not be begot by all individuals who read it. That's the thing about art, it is made for any number of reasons and should be received in any number of ways for any number of people. Art is an expression and people should be able to find their own expression within it.
That aside, there is a point. The whole idea behind the poem is something I remember and something that is applicable to many people you probably know. Maybe it's applicable to many people you don't in fact know. But the poem suggests that you should know your limits, be confident, but not proud, and if you listen to those around you and heed advice now and then you might save your own life.
I think in politics you don't find this often. Politicians don't know their limits or the limits of the jurisdictions over which they preside. They often are overconfident in their procedures and ways and the pride that washes off of them in waves deters people from them. They too often, far too often, do not heed advice that is critical to saving lives. There are times you get away with this, but more often there are casualties of some proportion involved. It's just something to think about as the election (actual election, not early election) draws nearer. I don't claim to understand the early voting, but the point is that the deadline is approaching. So whether or not you vote early, do vote. Vote for someone who will not create fallen men and women through their ignorance. And vote based on whoever you think that might be. I am remaining neutral in that advice.
It in fact serves a purpose. I look at poetry and feel that it has many and any interpretations. It is written for a purpose and has a significant reading to the author, but a good poet should assume the same meaning will not be begot by all individuals who read it. That's the thing about art, it is made for any number of reasons and should be received in any number of ways for any number of people. Art is an expression and people should be able to find their own expression within it.
That aside, there is a point. The whole idea behind the poem is something I remember and something that is applicable to many people you probably know. Maybe it's applicable to many people you don't in fact know. But the poem suggests that you should know your limits, be confident, but not proud, and if you listen to those around you and heed advice now and then you might save your own life.
I think in politics you don't find this often. Politicians don't know their limits or the limits of the jurisdictions over which they preside. They often are overconfident in their procedures and ways and the pride that washes off of them in waves deters people from them. They too often, far too often, do not heed advice that is critical to saving lives. There are times you get away with this, but more often there are casualties of some proportion involved. It's just something to think about as the election (actual election, not early election) draws nearer. I don't claim to understand the early voting, but the point is that the deadline is approaching. So whether or not you vote early, do vote. Vote for someone who will not create fallen men and women through their ignorance. And vote based on whoever you think that might be. I am remaining neutral in that advice.
10.27.2008
Be Careful What You're Sure Of
I actually am into writing a bit of poetry so I thought I would take up a blog on here to post a little snippet of my poetry.
This was written for a class my junior year of high school about a short story we were reading. I can't recall what story it was, but anyway this was the product of that assignment:
"What do you have to lose?" She asks.
"Nothing," he says, "I know I'll win."
"Everyone pays their dues," she says.
"Not me," he arrogantly whispers under the din.
But do you know what you're doing?
Have you any idea what you're pursuing?
I've seen it all done before.
Trust me; I've never been more sure.
Your confidence seems misleading,
There is no way you will end up succeeding.
Just draw your sword, and I'll draw mine,
I possess the skills, I have the tool, I'll be fine.
So they fought the fight,
And at the end of the night,
All that was left in sight,
Lay in the dirt:
The confident man's ignorant head.
This was written for a class my junior year of high school about a short story we were reading. I can't recall what story it was, but anyway this was the product of that assignment:
"What do you have to lose?" She asks.
"Nothing," he says, "I know I'll win."
"Everyone pays their dues," she says.
"Not me," he arrogantly whispers under the din.
But do you know what you're doing?
Have you any idea what you're pursuing?
I've seen it all done before.
Trust me; I've never been more sure.
Your confidence seems misleading,
There is no way you will end up succeeding.
Just draw your sword, and I'll draw mine,
I possess the skills, I have the tool, I'll be fine.
So they fought the fight,
And at the end of the night,
All that was left in sight,
Lay in the dirt:
The confident man's ignorant head.
10.22.2008
Pleasing other people, why sometimes you can't
I read a book by Max Lucado called He Still Moves Stones while I was taking the weekend off in Philadelphia and New York (which, of course, is why I haven't blogged in quite a while, sorry about that), and in it Lucado mentions things regarding the expectations of others and how we are perceived by others, especially relatives. He goes on to say that you can be the best daughter a father has and he will still never treat you like he should, you could disappoint your aunt with a career and change it a million times and still never get her support or approval. He then parallels our struggles with pleasing others to that of Jesus' struggle in pleasing his own family. His family didn't fully accept him either while he was of the flesh. And the thing is, if Jesus can't please his family or friends, then maybe we expect too much in pleasing everyone in our own life.
That being said, I have some further comments. College, has always been a big dream of mine, top three things I've strived to do well in, get to, and claim victory and success over. I was excited to be going and then terrified. And now I've had change of heart in the place that I want to be. And I am not pleasing very many people, let me tell you. It is not easy to change your mind when others liked your original plan so much. But here's what I'm stuck on, these people also always told me I should follow my heart, and so I am. And in doing so I may be disappointing some, maybe many, but when they see the joy I find maybe they will feel better about my decision, and then maybe not. But people, you have to do what you need. You have to find your own path and sometimes it veers from what others imagined for you. But it doesn't veer from what God imagined. So I just challenge you to do what you feel is right for you. You will make mistakes, but they are yours to make.
It goes back, I think, to a previous blog of mine about leaving. In it I said, "It's like people expect you to always stay and sometimes you just can't. Sometimes it's just time to go. Because if you don't leave it will never be your life, it will be theirs...and then maybe...one day...you will stay because it will be your life...because you've already done all your leaving." If you change the words a bit you can come up with this, therefore creating a sort of formula for why you can't always please people: "It's like people expect you to always do what they have planned and sometimes you just can't. Sometimes it's just time to change plans. Because if you don't change plans it will never be your life, it will be theirs...and then maybe...one day...you will stick to a plan because it will be your plan...because you've already done all your path carving."
10.12.2008
Relativity, Truth and "Being Right"
After talking on the phone with my best friend, a whirlwind of thoughts (which is pretty constant for me) became a furious wind of ideas with a serious force behind them. So, that being said, I'm going to try to put down all those winds of thought and still make some sort of sense. Fair?
Words are absolutely relative. Yes. I agree one hundred percent with this. Of course they all have specific denotations with universal definitions in most cases, but when it comes down to it every word has a different effect, different connotation, or interpretation for every single person. Unless someone is misinterpreting a word or thinking of a different word, we all can come to some sort of accord on what each word means in definition, but the impact each word has or doesn't have is a very different thing. Now, these definitions we reach an accord on...why are those correct? Because once upon a time the root of that word meant the same thing to everyone in ancient Greece or Rome and we took that root made a word in a different language based on that root and so everyone just goes along with it. Now and then there are changes and retractions made on definitions, yes that is the one thing we can expect from this world, some sort of change. People in this world are material and they make the material what they want. If it doesn't fit, they make it fit.
So these "truths" are reached because majority rules in most cases and in other cases power rules and so the rest submit accordingly. But can we ever be right about anything at all? I've never thought we could. We can't KNOW anything. Two plus two is four only because that's what we've been told and that's what everyone agrees on. Water is made of oxygen and hydrogen and not iron and sodium because it was decided that that's what those things are called. "Being right," is a learned thing. It's a majority's rule, a power's might, or a shock's unexpected-ness that tells us what we "should" know and "how" we should know it. We agree to "knowing" it based on the faith we place in this "knowledge."
By this I mean, it is all about faith. Life is. We believe and therefore things are. Belief and faith create our knowledge, but then it becomes our own personal knowledge. It becomes a knowledge unexplainable to anyone else on the planet. The only One who can see your beliefs and faith for what you "know" it to be, is God. God is what we believe, He is our faith and if the most important person in our lives is entirely based on faith, how can anything as trivial as two plus two being four, water being oxygen and hydrogen, or definitions of words be "knowledge." The faith we place in God and Christ and Christianity is the most important faith we can have, so the belief in words and numbers can't be said to be knowledge. That then is why it is relative. Full circle.
Branching a little further I just want to mention this, my belief in words may be different than yours, but in my appliance of words there is only truth. The words I say are meant with intensity, passion, and scrutiny. That doesn't make the impact any stronger for others though, because words are so relative in interpretation. They vary too much in meaning and impact. However, they aren't just used as space filler for me. So I hope that if you can't find a truth or impact in all words, that you can at least find impact and meaning and truth in my words.
Words are absolutely relative. Yes. I agree one hundred percent with this. Of course they all have specific denotations with universal definitions in most cases, but when it comes down to it every word has a different effect, different connotation, or interpretation for every single person. Unless someone is misinterpreting a word or thinking of a different word, we all can come to some sort of accord on what each word means in definition, but the impact each word has or doesn't have is a very different thing. Now, these definitions we reach an accord on...why are those correct? Because once upon a time the root of that word meant the same thing to everyone in ancient Greece or Rome and we took that root made a word in a different language based on that root and so everyone just goes along with it. Now and then there are changes and retractions made on definitions, yes that is the one thing we can expect from this world, some sort of change. People in this world are material and they make the material what they want. If it doesn't fit, they make it fit.
So these "truths" are reached because majority rules in most cases and in other cases power rules and so the rest submit accordingly. But can we ever be right about anything at all? I've never thought we could. We can't KNOW anything. Two plus two is four only because that's what we've been told and that's what everyone agrees on. Water is made of oxygen and hydrogen and not iron and sodium because it was decided that that's what those things are called. "Being right," is a learned thing. It's a majority's rule, a power's might, or a shock's unexpected-ness that tells us what we "should" know and "how" we should know it. We agree to "knowing" it based on the faith we place in this "knowledge."
By this I mean, it is all about faith. Life is. We believe and therefore things are. Belief and faith create our knowledge, but then it becomes our own personal knowledge. It becomes a knowledge unexplainable to anyone else on the planet. The only One who can see your beliefs and faith for what you "know" it to be, is God. God is what we believe, He is our faith and if the most important person in our lives is entirely based on faith, how can anything as trivial as two plus two being four, water being oxygen and hydrogen, or definitions of words be "knowledge." The faith we place in God and Christ and Christianity is the most important faith we can have, so the belief in words and numbers can't be said to be knowledge. That then is why it is relative. Full circle.
Branching a little further I just want to mention this, my belief in words may be different than yours, but in my appliance of words there is only truth. The words I say are meant with intensity, passion, and scrutiny. That doesn't make the impact any stronger for others though, because words are so relative in interpretation. They vary too much in meaning and impact. However, they aren't just used as space filler for me. So I hope that if you can't find a truth or impact in all words, that you can at least find impact and meaning and truth in my words.
10.05.2008
Challenging Yourself and Others
I'm going to try this new thing, it could only last as long as this post, but maybe it will come up now and then. The idea is to centralize the blog on one word. And the word I'm starting with is challenge, which seems like a good jumping off point because the whole idea to use one word as a centralization to the blog is a bit of a challenge, true?
So...challenge. Challenge is something that goes hand in hand with change. Change is a challenging things, but then life itself is rather challenging and trying itself. Something that people need to maybe do more often is challenge each other. I say this because more fulfillment comes from emerging on top from a challenge. When people are challenged outside of work or school to think critically about faith, religion, relationships, government, politics, entertainment or just life in general you learn and grow so much better and in a bigger way.
Surrounding yourself with challenging people is in it of itself a challenge. A lot of people can be fun to hang out with and a friend, but it's great friends who challenge you. Those who care enough about you to question you and your thoughts are the ones that are thinking way deeper than at a surface level. Deep and thoughtful conversation is a very fulfilling thing in life.
So I challenge you to challenge others and learn and grow with great people. A concept that I discussed with my very best friend who challenges me everyday to think.
So...challenge. Challenge is something that goes hand in hand with change. Change is a challenging things, but then life itself is rather challenging and trying itself. Something that people need to maybe do more often is challenge each other. I say this because more fulfillment comes from emerging on top from a challenge. When people are challenged outside of work or school to think critically about faith, religion, relationships, government, politics, entertainment or just life in general you learn and grow so much better and in a bigger way.
Surrounding yourself with challenging people is in it of itself a challenge. A lot of people can be fun to hang out with and a friend, but it's great friends who challenge you. Those who care enough about you to question you and your thoughts are the ones that are thinking way deeper than at a surface level. Deep and thoughtful conversation is a very fulfilling thing in life.
So I challenge you to challenge others and learn and grow with great people. A concept that I discussed with my very best friend who challenges me everyday to think.
10.02.2008
Moving in a Different Direction
Now, let me just move to something other than politics for a moment, since the big news is about the debates and I haven't watched them yet because I have them recorded...I know, bad.
Maybe some of you will feel a little strange about the topic shift. Maybe you won't like the change...but that's what life is...a series of changes. Therein is a series of movements, leaving and moving on and those are always the same thing. Leaving and moving on are not the same. True, they can go hand in hand, but they aren't necessarily that way. I think this is an issue people sometimes don't understand. It's like people expect you to always stay and sometimes you just can't. Sometimes it's just time to go. Because if you don't leave it will never be your life, it will be theirs...and then maybe...one day...you will stay because it will be your life...because you've already done all your leaving. And maybe one day you'll find someone to move with from place to place...someone to take along and journey with. That's something to really be thankful for. To find the person that is your very best friend. An unfailing force in your life.
Change is scary, most people are averse to it. I, myself, am not a huge fan of change myself. Struggle is something that generally follows in the face of change because with change comes the unknown and of course people are afraid of the unknown. It's something completely apart from what is already in a person's life. So it makes sense.
You just have to learn to change and grow and even if you are afraid. Hopefully you'll have people to back you up in life.
Maybe some of you will feel a little strange about the topic shift. Maybe you won't like the change...but that's what life is...a series of changes. Therein is a series of movements, leaving and moving on and those are always the same thing. Leaving and moving on are not the same. True, they can go hand in hand, but they aren't necessarily that way. I think this is an issue people sometimes don't understand. It's like people expect you to always stay and sometimes you just can't. Sometimes it's just time to go. Because if you don't leave it will never be your life, it will be theirs...and then maybe...one day...you will stay because it will be your life...because you've already done all your leaving. And maybe one day you'll find someone to move with from place to place...someone to take along and journey with. That's something to really be thankful for. To find the person that is your very best friend. An unfailing force in your life.
Change is scary, most people are averse to it. I, myself, am not a huge fan of change myself. Struggle is something that generally follows in the face of change because with change comes the unknown and of course people are afraid of the unknown. It's something completely apart from what is already in a person's life. So it makes sense.
You just have to learn to change and grow and even if you are afraid. Hopefully you'll have people to back you up in life.
10.01.2008
It's Your Right
"The great thing about democracy is that it gives every voter a chance to do something stupid," said by Art Spander, award winning American sports writer, this quote is a good place to start on this blog.
I know this has been somewhat political lately, but how can it not be? The election is something like four weeks away the vice presidential debate is on tomorrow and it's one of the most, if not the most, controversial presidential elections in United States history. So maybe we'll hit some other issues soon enough.
Anyway...voting. It's a right that is paid for by you for living in this country, don't waste your money and more importantly vote so the government won't waste your money. You also don't want the government to waste your resources, time, energy, or life in general. If you'd like to see more good from this country, go out and make a decision for the country.
And yes democracy provides the opportunity for you to vote in a manner than could screw things up and maybe that's what Spander meant...or maybe he meant the thing that would be stupid for a voter to do is to not use the right to vote. So I urge people to go out and vote. Do something for the country and for yourself.
So now that I've become an ad for voter promoters all over the country, I leave you. Perhaps more blogging will result tonight, if not then tomorrow.
I know this has been somewhat political lately, but how can it not be? The election is something like four weeks away the vice presidential debate is on tomorrow and it's one of the most, if not the most, controversial presidential elections in United States history. So maybe we'll hit some other issues soon enough.
Anyway...voting. It's a right that is paid for by you for living in this country, don't waste your money and more importantly vote so the government won't waste your money. You also don't want the government to waste your resources, time, energy, or life in general. If you'd like to see more good from this country, go out and make a decision for the country.
And yes democracy provides the opportunity for you to vote in a manner than could screw things up and maybe that's what Spander meant...or maybe he meant the thing that would be stupid for a voter to do is to not use the right to vote. So I urge people to go out and vote. Do something for the country and for yourself.
So now that I've become an ad for voter promoters all over the country, I leave you. Perhaps more blogging will result tonight, if not then tomorrow.
9.29.2008
Money is Dirty - Pointing Fingers, Blaming, and Failing
"Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill immediately blamed each other today for the failure of a $700 billion bailout package in the House."
This is an excerpt from one of CNN's articles covering the failed bailout totaling $700 billion dollars. It's funny, money. It always seems to bring out the worst in people. Or at least...it rarely brings about good in a majority of situations. True, there are charitable people in society...but they are A. few and far between or B. are the ones with less money to give. So that brings us to the $700 billions dollars that the government is discussing and potentially could be throwing around to try to "stimulate the economy."
Well, I don't know about what you think, but it seems to me it's just causing more problems with the people heading up the government. We find ourselves in the middle of yet another controversial presidential election, where regardless of who wins the presidency there is going to be a huge break in history where either a woman takes the vice presidency or a black man takes the presidency. So with that going on...there's this other huge issue. The biggest attempt to bailout the economy or stimulate it since the Great Depression.
So according to CNN we now have a "very dissappointed" president about to leave office with an unresolved bill on the table...and the question is...where does this bill go next?
The republicans and democrats are now blaming each other for why it didn't pass and whether that was good or bad. One congressman, Republican John Culberson said we had the choice to either bankrupt our children or a few major companies that made bad decisions. Many blame Nancy Pelosi for her partisan speech before the vote. Showing that money that's touched the hands of many...is bound to be dirty. It causes problems in government and problems in general. So another question posed is, what can we do to cleanse ourselves of the dirty money? Or really, is there even anything to do?
How much longer will we have these issues with the economy? Maybe they are never ending...at least that's what history shows.
This is an excerpt from one of CNN's articles covering the failed bailout totaling $700 billion dollars. It's funny, money. It always seems to bring out the worst in people. Or at least...it rarely brings about good in a majority of situations. True, there are charitable people in society...but they are A. few and far between or B. are the ones with less money to give. So that brings us to the $700 billions dollars that the government is discussing and potentially could be throwing around to try to "stimulate the economy."
Well, I don't know about what you think, but it seems to me it's just causing more problems with the people heading up the government. We find ourselves in the middle of yet another controversial presidential election, where regardless of who wins the presidency there is going to be a huge break in history where either a woman takes the vice presidency or a black man takes the presidency. So with that going on...there's this other huge issue. The biggest attempt to bailout the economy or stimulate it since the Great Depression.
So according to CNN we now have a "very dissappointed" president about to leave office with an unresolved bill on the table...and the question is...where does this bill go next?
The republicans and democrats are now blaming each other for why it didn't pass and whether that was good or bad. One congressman, Republican John Culberson said we had the choice to either bankrupt our children or a few major companies that made bad decisions. Many blame Nancy Pelosi for her partisan speech before the vote. Showing that money that's touched the hands of many...is bound to be dirty. It causes problems in government and problems in general. So another question posed is, what can we do to cleanse ourselves of the dirty money? Or really, is there even anything to do?
How much longer will we have these issues with the economy? Maybe they are never ending...at least that's what history shows.
9.23.2008
Downsizing, Upgrading, and Overextending
It's been a few days since I've updated...so getting back into the swing of things let me express something: My blog is essentially my take on little world matters that aren't always examined by most. I intend to provoke thought and incite some wisdom. A lot of my connections hail from the media world to the rest of life, but that's mostly because generally my days are concerned with the media as it is a large scale part of my chosen path toward profession, journalism. However, I will note things about any aspect with the greatest of abandon and sometimes in complete randomness sparked only by my own restless thoughts.
That being said, let's concern ourselves a bit with the huge corporations and conglomerates in the world today. In media specifically, there are six giant media owners. They own a wide variety of types of media and their goal is to consume smaller media outlets and then downsize and upgrade everything in sight. It seems that this is occurring more and more as technology and communication advance.
Coming with this consumption of as much as possible is an overextension of sorts. These conglomerates not only overextend their resources and abilities, but require a lot of their employees and the world overall. The world is being asked to get 38 hours worth of work or other tasks accomplished in a day of 24 hours. It leaves little time to breathe let alone rest. The requirements to gain anything of importance just grows in quantity and not necessarily in quality.
The things that are required, that push people to become overextended, aren't even always what is best, but it is just what is a lot. Or rather what seems to be impressive because it is an overload. Well, I could eat ten boxes of oreos and you wouldn't be impressed, so what needs to be looked at is what the act being done actually is accomplishing and not how much of something you are filling yourself or your plate (reference and pun toward the oreos totally not intended) with.
In the same notion, these large corporations and companies need to examine what they are consuming. The number of businesses you own doesn't denote success. The quality of the businesses you own does. A large successful corporation, Starbucks for example, is not a part of a huge conglomerate, but works with its customers in an effective way and takes stock in its employees, can do an awesome job making money and serving a purpose without overextending because it seems to know the limits. On the other hand, a huge conglomerate made of many different sections could do an awful job A. serving a purpose and B. making the money it seeks because it is requiring too much of itself, its employees and its customers.
So the idea that needs to be put into practice is that you have to know your limits and know when you are working in a qualitative way and not a quantitative way to reach your goal of success.
That being said, let's concern ourselves a bit with the huge corporations and conglomerates in the world today. In media specifically, there are six giant media owners. They own a wide variety of types of media and their goal is to consume smaller media outlets and then downsize and upgrade everything in sight. It seems that this is occurring more and more as technology and communication advance.
Coming with this consumption of as much as possible is an overextension of sorts. These conglomerates not only overextend their resources and abilities, but require a lot of their employees and the world overall. The world is being asked to get 38 hours worth of work or other tasks accomplished in a day of 24 hours. It leaves little time to breathe let alone rest. The requirements to gain anything of importance just grows in quantity and not necessarily in quality.
The things that are required, that push people to become overextended, aren't even always what is best, but it is just what is a lot. Or rather what seems to be impressive because it is an overload. Well, I could eat ten boxes of oreos and you wouldn't be impressed, so what needs to be looked at is what the act being done actually is accomplishing and not how much of something you are filling yourself or your plate (reference and pun toward the oreos totally not intended) with.
In the same notion, these large corporations and companies need to examine what they are consuming. The number of businesses you own doesn't denote success. The quality of the businesses you own does. A large successful corporation, Starbucks for example, is not a part of a huge conglomerate, but works with its customers in an effective way and takes stock in its employees, can do an awesome job making money and serving a purpose without overextending because it seems to know the limits. On the other hand, a huge conglomerate made of many different sections could do an awful job A. serving a purpose and B. making the money it seeks because it is requiring too much of itself, its employees and its customers.
So the idea that needs to be put into practice is that you have to know your limits and know when you are working in a qualitative way and not a quantitative way to reach your goal of success.
9.17.2008
Connections Can Keep You Moving
The past two weeks (and only two weeks this quarter) that I've been in school I've noticed something...My classes are overlapping. I don't even mean just a little bit...I'm talking I've heard about Gutenburg and his printing press FOUR times in FOUR classes this week. That's not the only connection though. There are so many more...the Renaissance has been presented as significant in two of the four classes. The ideas of Plato and Aristotle and Ancient Greece and Rome have been brought up in two of four of the classes. And Ben Franklin and his newspaper have been mentioned in two more classes of the four.
Now, where is the point in all of this? Well the connections are keeping me on top of things. It's a huge advantage, redundant as it may seem initially. I am learning the information if not in any other way than repetition. The connections therefore, are a good thing.
That goes for almost all connections. Especially networking. Networking is a great form of connections that keeps you moving in this fast paced, high-demand world. If you know people and they know people that are useful to you, all you have to do is be kind to them and things will probably pay off for you in the end. It's another formula...(your friend + your kindness) + their friend = a payoff for you. That's not to say you should use people because using people and networking are completely different things. There is an advantage for both with networking; there is advantage for one and deception toward the other in misusage.
So make connections, utilize connections presented and you'll have a better time keeping up in the whirl of movement.
Now, where is the point in all of this? Well the connections are keeping me on top of things. It's a huge advantage, redundant as it may seem initially. I am learning the information if not in any other way than repetition. The connections therefore, are a good thing.
That goes for almost all connections. Especially networking. Networking is a great form of connections that keeps you moving in this fast paced, high-demand world. If you know people and they know people that are useful to you, all you have to do is be kind to them and things will probably pay off for you in the end. It's another formula...(your friend + your kindness) + their friend = a payoff for you. That's not to say you should use people because using people and networking are completely different things. There is an advantage for both with networking; there is advantage for one and deception toward the other in misusage.
So make connections, utilize connections presented and you'll have a better time keeping up in the whirl of movement.
9.15.2008
Can't Cover Crisis
Recently in my Journalism 101 class the Assistant Professor of E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Yusuf Kalyango, spoke of the difficulty journalists in America (or rather, in general) have with reporting on a crisis situation. He noted that when they cover crises they tend to ignore their journalistic role. The reason, he explained, is that journalists haven't ever experienced this particular tragedy or crisis so, naturally they become emotionally attached because that's human nature.
Now, traditionally emotion shouldn't ever be brought into the story, but as humans it is almost impossible sometimes to do that. So instead of negatively letting your emotions affect the story, journalists should use it to help convey the message to the public. How? Well the goal of a journalist is to keep the people informed to tell the people how to deal with situations and find a solution. Instinct is a good thing to have to help get to a solution. Instinct, at it's high point, does involve emotion. So it's a formula then...Instinct times emotion plus a storyline equals the possible solution to convey to the public.
So maybe the lesson shouldn't be to avoid emotion at all costs and not keep away from stories that you could possibly invest emotion into. Maybe it should be that when you find yourself emotionally invested in a story...you need to utilize it in a good and postive journalistic way and keep in mind your goals as a journalist.
Now, traditionally emotion shouldn't ever be brought into the story, but as humans it is almost impossible sometimes to do that. So instead of negatively letting your emotions affect the story, journalists should use it to help convey the message to the public. How? Well the goal of a journalist is to keep the people informed to tell the people how to deal with situations and find a solution. Instinct is a good thing to have to help get to a solution. Instinct, at it's high point, does involve emotion. So it's a formula then...Instinct times emotion plus a storyline equals the possible solution to convey to the public.
So maybe the lesson shouldn't be to avoid emotion at all costs and not keep away from stories that you could possibly invest emotion into. Maybe it should be that when you find yourself emotionally invested in a story...you need to utilize it in a good and postive journalistic way and keep in mind your goals as a journalist.
9.13.2008
Politics, the World and Journalism
I've sat in my enormous lecture class for Journalism 101 twice now and have read two chapters in the coinciding course textbook and have noticed a few things...
Politics and discussion of the world are so adhesive to the subject of journalism and I have a completely coherent explanation as to why.
Journalism is an art and a career in which you have to communicate. Obviously, I mean, it's a communications major. In that point you also have the fact that in order to communicate at the level of being a journalist, you need to have someone to communicate your message to. That message, if it reaches it's intended success, will reach someone or a small group or in most circumstances the world at large. Therefore you have to have knowledge of the world with which you are communicating. Having that knowledge helps to effectively get your point across because you know about who you are talking to and how better to do so.
Simply put, if you don't like ascertaining information on the world and how it works and how better to work with it maybe journalism isn't the best career to pursue.
Politics then needs to be learned about too. Why? Because politics play a part in almost all things. Especially when it comes to careers because there are laws and regulations that have to be adhered to and abided by. You can sit in a room and note hundreds of ways in which the government is regulating you, from the FDA's stamp of approval on your toothpaste to the pillows from which you can't remove the tags and to the building codes that create and enforce rules as to how the walls are built around you. The list is long and the same can be said about the laws surrounding the way in which you communicate with the world.
So again...if you don't want to explore the politics behind journalism it's hard to say you are dedicated to the field.
The definition of pursuing an education and degree and eventual career in journalism just gained some baggage, yes?
9.10.2008
Reading in Motion: Massive Collegiate Reading Assigned
Presently, it is the third day into the new fall quarter, 2008. What this means is that all the freshmen/ first year students, including myself, are discovering the seemingly endless pages of reading that classes are presenting them. Or, more specifically, professors are presenting them. I, myself, had approximately 200 pages of reading due by tomorrow, Thursday. Is it all finished? No. I still have about a fourth of it left, but the night is young.
So...college maybe is turning out to be a bit different than some had anticipated. I am genuinely a bit surprised. I expected a lot of reading...but this...is A LOT of reading. It just goes to show that you have to keep up in this fast paced world. Keep up with your news crawl, keep up with your reading, keep up with your friends. The list is nearly endless. You have to make time for all sorts of things throughout your day. Eating for example, in an overcrowded dining hall or buying groceries in a tiny market located in Nelson Commons.
The fast pace, while adventurous and exactly what you may need during the day, is also quite tiring and requires a good night's sleep. So I challenge you to enjoy your days in motion and to keep rested so you can keep going. And going....
And going...because trust me...if you stop...everything else won't. It keeps moving.
So...college maybe is turning out to be a bit different than some had anticipated. I am genuinely a bit surprised. I expected a lot of reading...but this...is A LOT of reading. It just goes to show that you have to keep up in this fast paced world. Keep up with your news crawl, keep up with your reading, keep up with your friends. The list is nearly endless. You have to make time for all sorts of things throughout your day. Eating for example, in an overcrowded dining hall or buying groceries in a tiny market located in Nelson Commons.
The fast pace, while adventurous and exactly what you may need during the day, is also quite tiring and requires a good night's sleep. So I challenge you to enjoy your days in motion and to keep rested so you can keep going. And going....
And going...because trust me...if you stop...everything else won't. It keeps moving.
9.09.2008
Racing Thoughts in a Fast Paced World
Some may be wondering what exactly is meant by the mere title of this blog. Well, allow me to explain...
This world is moving faster than ever before. Anywhere you look on tv, the internet, or newspapers and magazines even, the amount of information before you can be very overwhelming. There are news crawls to follow along with the reporter and the story being presented in the main and then there are sidebars and jumps from here to there. It can be hard to keep up.
With all of these things going on there are understandable a considerable amount of thoughts floating around in the atmosphere and in our minds. Only a portion of those thoughts are ever released and turned into words or other forms of communication.
So I've created a blog to get out a few more of my own atmospheres of thought. Maybe then I can slow down the news crawl on my mind and get a little feedback on it as well.
I hope you enjoy my musings in motion....
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