Media Culture

Team Coco!

2010-01-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

News on Conan O'Brien getting bumped to the later 12:05am time slot in order to make room for Jay Leno got leaked last week.

Conan is sticking up for himself and telling NBC he won't do it.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/01/conan-obriens-manager-says-statement-not-about-points-or-strategy.html

Twitter is also exploding in the trending topics panel.

Tiger Woods Mania

2009-12-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Hey, so as everyone has heard about the Tiger Woods Scandal. People think he has cheated and think his career, marriage is now over..but before the verdict is reached ..here is what the media and late night talks shows have to say through virtual animation. Take a look at some of the videos that have been posted. Hilarious or not?

Things that GO POP! Tiger Woods

Health officials admit to hyping the danger posed by swine flu

2009-11-27T08:07:00.001-08:00

Health officials are now admitting that they upped the fear factor for swine flu to influence the public to act, and the media played a key part in their plans.

Check out this Toronto Star article

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/swineflu/article/728283--how-they-larded-h1n1-facts-with-fear

It's hard to dig behind the wall of information if all health officials are saying the same thing, and if fear motivates people to protect themselves than it's probably okay to sensationalize the epidemic. But didn’t someone notice? Were the media so fearful themselves of swine flu that they blindly reported anything health officials told them? Isn’t it someone’s responsibility to check the facts and get different opinion, and to report the truth of the matter instead of the frenzy inducing spiels by Canadian health officials?

Girl Can't Stop Sneezing

2009-11-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

So going with my trend in posting random videos...

This 12-year-old girl can't stop sneezing. I found this crazy interesting for anyone else who wants to watch,

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-ca&vid=9f491340-13ee-4891-b596-13ad724d9991&from=imbot_en-ca_f1824&fg=rss
(the video plays after the advertisement of course)

Mr. Colbert

2009-11-10T14:15:00.001-08:00

After hearing about this and watching it on a few news posts from certain websites I laughed so hard at how ridiculous Canadians were being.

Stephen Colbert is a comedian, he makes jokes. There have been plenty of jokes made by him that are exteremly offensive but still only jokes. I just thought it was ridiculous how Canada reacted. Let me know how you feel.

http://news.sympatico.cbc.ca/abc/Entertainment/ContentPosting?isfa=1&feedname=%20CBC-ARTS-V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=bc-colbert-speedskating-oval-access

Sorry for such a long link.

Also can't believe they got the kids to say that stuff, again he's a comedian.

Twitter Controversy

2009-11-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

I found this very interesting because of the reaction it got by Kelly Hrudey on CBC, who was furious about what happened. The other members of the panel agreed that it was better in the days before twitter when player's agents talked to journalists and became sources as opposed to now where they just tweet what's going on. Twitter is starting to change the landscape of professional sports and gives fans more of an inside look into the inner workings of organizations.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297689

One In A Million: The Crazy Side Effect from Flu Shots

2009-10-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

I came across a crazy video shared by one of my facebook friends. This is a clip that was aired on a news channel. It's about a 25 year old aspiring pro cheerleader from Virginia, USA, who took a seasonal flu shot. Days after the shot, she couldn't eat without passing out. Next, she came to find that she was unable to walk without having spasms, and that she could run and walk backwards perfectly fine. Weird huh? I absolutely didn't believe this, as sad as it may seem, I really thought this woman was putting on a act. Guys, please click the link below to watch the video and comment and let me know what you think because I'm typeless right now :S

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScGC7nFDxM&feature=related

Security Guards Beat Up Western Student

2009-10-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

A student got attacked by University of Western security guards. The camera phone video of it was posted on Youtube. Students are saying it was unnecessary force, Western representatives are saying it was warranted.

In talking about how the role of journalism has changed, how does this affect us as journalists and representatives of the media industry? How does public participation change the profession?
User generated media is not going to go away, so how do we adapt and use it to our advantage?

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx/?mkt=en-ca&vid=cbcc2009-1510-2121-0042-200032848900&from=imbot_en-ca_f1824&fg=rss&wa=wsignin1.0

Baby Falls on Subway Tracks

2009-10-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

I know this is kind of 'old news' now and most of you have probably seen it already, but still, crazy!

One of the MANY videos of it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC2eF0L-QAA

Facebook with a new "Face lift" Oh my!

2009-10-19T04:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I would never see the day where I would find a webpage all about Facebook facelifts. Apparently there is going to be a new skin for the page..
'Facebook Facelift

Shared via AddThis

Personally the page looks kinda cool but I think it won't look any different from the way Facebook looks now.

What do you think?

Update on Balloon Boy

2009-10-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8313457.stm

Here's another video link from CNN, and the second one is from the BBC. A US Colorado State Sheriff is interviewed and confirms the balloon boy's situation to be fake.

I think it is disgusting people desperately want to get themselves on television. Apparently, the parents were 'shopping' to be on a TLC television show for themselves. Really, who in their right mind thinks this kind of publicity would be positive? It amazes me on how far people will go for 15 minutes in the spotlight.

Balloon Boy

2009-10-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

After scouring northern Colorado by foot and air, frantically chasing a Mylar balloon for dozens of miles and interviewing his big brother over and over, local and federal authorities ended their search for 6-year-old Falcon Heene where it began -- at his house.

Falcon Heene, 6, said he hid in the family attic after his father yelled at him.

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He was in a box. In the attic. The whole time.
"I played with my toys and took a nap," Falcon told reporters outside his Fort Collins home Thursday afternoon.
"He walked in by himself, it felt like from nowhwere," the boy's mother, Mayumi Heene, told CNN Friday morning. "When I first saw him I couldn't even believe it, I couldn't comprehend."
"He says he was hiding in the attic," Falcon's father, meteorologist Richard Heene, said Thursday as he clutched his son. "He says it's because I yelled at him. I'm sorry I yelled at him."
But in a later interview on CNN's "Larry King Live," Falcon said he heard his parents call for him from the garage. When asked by his father on air why he didn't respond, the boy replied, "You guys said we did this for the show."
When Richard Heene was pressed by fill-in host Wolf Blitzer to explain what his son meant, he became uncomfortable, finally saying he was "appalled" by the questions. He added that Falcon likely was referring to all the media coverage. Heene reiterated Friday morning that Falcon was talking about media requests after the drama ended Thursday.
Authorities said they believe the case, which launched search efforts by the Colorado Air National Guard and Federal Aviation Administration, was genuine.
Don't Miss
Heene told reporters earlier the family was working on the balloon, what he called a "3-D low-altitude vehicle," and they were in the "early stages of the invention" when the balloon and the boy went missing.
The situation grabbed the world's attention Thursday afternoon after authorities reported that the experimental helium balloon was set adrift and the 6-year-old apparently was riding in it. His brother had said he watched Falcon get into the balloon before he untied the tethers, setting it free. Heene later said Falcon was videotaped getting into the vessel by his brother but "obviously he got out."
Rescuers followed the saucerlike vessel, and the FAA tried to track it until the balloon made a soft landing some 50 miles away in a field.
Officials rushed to the scene, smacking the metallic balloon until it deflated. They looked inside, but there was no Falcon.
At that point, there were two possibilities: Either Falcon never got in the balloon, or he fell out. After reports that a box possibly carrying Falcon might have fallen off the balloon, authorities feared the worst.
"It was like the worst thing I ever heard in my life because all I could think of was maybe he had fallen out," Richard Heene said Friday.
But a little while later, the boy turned up at home.
Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden said it's not uncommon for children to seek cover when they realize they're the subject of a massive search. "They hide because they think they are in trouble."
"What was confusing was the eyewitness who said [Falcon] climbed into the apparatus, which was not the case," Alderden said, referring to the boy's brother.
The sheriff said investigators interviewd the brother several times and he was consistent with his story.
Earlier, the falling-box scenario prompted a widening search.
A Weld County sheriff's deputy had said he saw an object fall from the balloon somewhere over Platteville, Colorado, which is in the search area. There was no box attached when the balloon made a soft landing at 1:35 p.m. (3:35 p.m. ET).
The widespread worries prompted the Colorado Air National Guard to deploy a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, with plans to launch a second one equipped with night vision, if necessary.
The search, which initially focused on Weld County, covered "the entire flight plan, from the Fort Collins area down to the Denver International Airport area," Col. Mark Riccardi said.
Falcon's parents, science enthusiasts Richard and Mayumi Heene, were featured on the 100th episode of ABC's prime-time program "Wife Swap" in March, that network said.
According to ABC's Web site, the Heenes "devote their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm."
Richard Heene is a meteorologist and former television weatherman who has submitted to CNN iReports accounts of his sons helping him chase Hurricane Gustav, among other contributions.
Marc Friedland, the family's next-door neighbor, said he left his house about 11 a.m. Thursday for a walk and found Heene working on the giant balloon in the backyard.
"Basically, the whole family was out there, and they were working with it," he said. "When I came back is when I found out that the event happened."
He said the aircraft was intended to hover about 20 feet in the air and was not intended to carry people. "Obviously, something went wrong with that."
Friedland described his neighbors for the past year as "a great family."
"They're unusual, yes, of course. He's sort of a scientist slash inventor. They're storm chasers -- they go after tornadoes, hurricanes, things like that."
The family had been working on the aircraft for a couple of weeks, he said.
About Falcon, Friedland said, "He's a great kid. We see him a lot, and they come over and they're always friendly."
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said the balloon had been tethered to the family's home.

David Letterman Blackmailed

2009-10-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xPre-Wwz9I

What makes this even more amazing is that he actually manages to turn this explanation of what's happening to him into a comedic monologue. Crazy.

The AM Radio!

2009-10-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

Hey all,

I was organizing/cleaning my iTunes collection and stumbled upon this favourite that I would share. It's by Everclear, and it basically describes when there used to be only AM radio, and the social events/ teenage activities of the time.

It's really a cute-and-almost-corny personal account of the past, when there was only AM radio. We have discussed the evolution of news and entertainment mediums in our Media Relations class (PR) from print, to radio (and within this, AM, FM and Internet radio), to television, to the countless television stations we have now, etc. The range of choice for the consumer has expanded with time and with new uses for media. This topic has been discussed in various other classes as well.

I sincerely apologize for the lame video haha!

Aaaaand thank you, YouTube.

Can we redefine the term: a Journalist ?

2009-09-20T00:04:00.000-07:00

I thought i write this post, regardless of the time because it came to me that the role of journalism is becoming more participatory by active members of society. What I mean by this is that social media is now playing a bigger part in how news content is gathered ,distributed, and produced whether it be through e-mails, iphones ,podcasts, blogs and Tweets.

The article I found directly points out that social media has become and I quote, " appears that the Internet is facilitating an increase in expression, collaboration and conversation. The pattern is dispersed and uneven, but unmistakable. The current crisis in big business-supported journalism, coupled with the explosion of personal expression through online media, is fundamentally transforming journalism practices and giving way to the emergence of a more participatory form of journalism". - The Tyee You can either agree or disagree , but would you think that social media has become a ' professional' standard in the way we distribute news and that is lowering the level of journalistic practice in the world of media. Rationally social media has only become this huge big way of networking within these past few years.

The Tyee Ã¢Â€Â” The News Is Getting More Social

Shared via AddThis

Could we see more audiences relying on social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, Blogger to provide "trust-worthy" news, than trusting corporations like 20th Century Fox,Viacom The Asper Family- CanWest Corp, or even the CRTC? Is it a crisis in Journalism , why or why not?

* (If you are a Public Relations student, we just covered a class in Media Relations about who owns all the major news papers in Canada and the US, if not, Just look for example at the National Post and you would be surprised they are own or used to be owned by Conrad Black and his company Southman but now is owned by CanWest...politics !, yes sir!, )

Lloyd Kaufman Defines Media Consolidation

2009-09-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Lloyd Kaufman is the director of Cult Indie movies like The Toxic Avenger, and is also the chairman of the Independent Film and Television Alliance.

What are your thoughts on Media Consolidation?

VIACOM SUING GOOGLE OVER YOUTUBE...NO WAY!

2009-09-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

As I was just about to write about Micheal Moore, director of SiCKO , premiers his latest creation "Capitalism: A Love Story" at the Toronto International Film Festival , my mind suddenly changed when my friend, a social media nerd, sent me this article. A Web video site called Veoh, who just won a legal suit against against Viacom who sued for $ 1 billion for copyright infringement . Now Viacom is taking legal action now against Youtube for the same offense. I have attached some of the article and the link.

What's your opinion on this article? I thought Youtube was a free website ,where anything can be posted with no if's, and's ,or but's , I thought it was all fair play?

"A federal district court says Veoh, a Web video site that has come under legal fire from entertainment companies the past several years, is not liable for the copyright violations committed by its users, a decision that could help YouTube defend itself against Viacom's $1 billion copyright suit.

Kanye West's MTV Outburst

2009-09-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

"West's rude interlude at the popular awards show is, predictably, the talk of the nation. But with all the clicks and searches and hundreds of thousands of video views, you have to wonder:

Are we being had?"

Kanye is scheduled to appear tonight on the Jay Leno show. Do you think this is a publicity stunt, and do you think any press is good press for Kanye?

Fall 2009

2009-09-13T18:39:00.001-07:00

We're about to get started with our blog again - make sure you email me if you need access.

Web Portfolio Marks?

2008-12-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

Is anyone interested in finding out their web portfolio marks?

Yeah? I say we ask Stuart if we can find out somehow hehe

Post your Web Portfolio!

2008-12-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

It's our last day of class, yay! As Ashley mentioned before it'd be a really good idea to share all our web portfolio. I loved everyone's website last time, and since this one was twice as complicated their probably all better!
Happy Holidays everyone!
Here's mine enjoy!
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~ylieuw01/index.html

200th post

2008-11-29T21:52:00.001-08:00

I just think its ridiculous that throughout the semester we've posted 200 different topics. Some topics stick out more than others (eg tuition, thanks davin) but I think it was a great experience. When I first heard we were going to do this, I thought it would be like Bernie's Internet and Survey thing but it turned out that people actually took this seriously.

So congrats everyone on discussing 200 different things.

Holiday Madness

2008-11-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

I'll be the first to admit that I get excited about the Holidays because of all the great deals you can fund while shopping. I've seen some pretty crazy bargain hunters in my time but our neighbors to the south have gone and out done anything I've ever heard of. As you might know, Americans don't celebrate Boxing day, but their equivalent is Black Friday, the day after American Thanksgiving. So today I was on the Toronto Star's website and I find not one, but two articles about people being KILLED at department stores during the black Friday madness

I can't get over this, and I know the second article makes it clear that the deaths may not have been consumer related, but I just cannot see holiday shopping as so important that people end up dead before the day is through. It echoes the 2005 death of Jane Creba, on boxing day. It just make me feel sick to think that getting a great deal is enough for people to trample an other person. Whats worse is that not one person tried to help the guy up before it was too late, and hte thought of having to worry about my safety while shopping with my friends is just absurd to me.

Anyways, I hope I haven't spoiled the Holiday spirit for everyone, and I wish everyone the best for this break, have a good one!

Attacks in Mumbai

2008-11-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

So I'm not sure who knows, but apparently there is some pretty nasty stuff going down in India right now, for about the past 24 hours. Potential terrorists, belonging to no one really knows where, have been killing tons of people and generally causing tons of chaos all over the city, which is like a major economic and marketing capital. They had taken over 2 hotels and a Jewish synagogue and had also shot up a packed train station.

I was just on CBC and then the BBC website reading about it, and everyone is trying to get into contact with people over there, obviously because there is a large population in Canada with family over there. Basically, I just wanted to write this because I think that its neat that on the BBC's website, they are using this guy's blog and twitter account to keep like up to the minute updates. Clearly, unless he's a journalist over there and I really dont know about that, they aren't the newsiest things, but I just thought that it was pretty cool that BBC is using that kind of technology. And kinda relevant to our class.

Here's the link to that part of the BBC, and then you can follow the link to the guy's Twitter site if you're interested.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7752003.stm

Exactly one month to go until Christmas!

2008-11-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

Today is exactly one month away from Christmas and having such a "bleh" blog just doesn't do it for me! I figured I'd make the page a little colourful and give it some holiday cheer!

So from me to you Web Design Class.... HAPPY HOLIDAYS! xoxo

Acts of Kindness

2008-11-25T11:39:00.001-08:00

I usually look at the Toronto Star Website once a week just to check the news. I have looked through most sections, but I never realized that there was once about acts of kindness. I started reading them and i thought it was so nice. For those of you who had never noticed, like me, check it out. It kind of gets you in the holiday mood.

http://www.thestar.com/kindness

While there is so much talk about recessions and crimes, there are everyday people that really do make a difference in other people's lives.

Keep in Mind While Christmas Shopping...

2008-11-25T10:20:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

Just thought I would give you all a helpful warning when it comes to Christmas shopping this season. I just got an email today with a list of stores we may not want to buy gift cards from or even buy articles of clothing that the person you are buying it for may want to return/ exchange it. These stores are ones that are being negatively affected by the recession. Though many of the stores are American, there are a few that you may want to keep an eye out for. Here is the email...

FYI…. before you do any holiday shopping, or get stuck with any unused or not honorable gift cards, take a look at the list below. Keep these stores in mind, you wouldn't want to purchase a gift card for someone that won't be able to use it!! Pass it on…. It seems there are lots of stores that are closing due to the "recession" and the fact that people are not shopping. If you have any "gift cards" from these stores, make sure you use them, or you will lose them! Watch those store money cards and gift cards.. and credit slips! Stores that informed the Security Exchange of closing plans between October 2008 and January 2009. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

-Circuit City stores... most recent (? how many)
-Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide are to be shuttered
-Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherine's- to close 150 store nationwide
-Eddie Bauer- to close stores 27 stores and more after January
-Cache- will close all stores
-Talbots- closing down all stores
-J. Jill- closing all stores
-GAP- closing 85 stores
-Footlocker- closing 140 stores more to close after January
-Wickes- Furniture closing down
-Levitz- closing down remaining stores
-Bombay- closing remaining stores
-Zales- closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
-Whitehall- closing all stores
-Piercing Pagoda- closing all stores
-Disney- closing 98 stores and will close more after January
-Home Depot- closing 15 stores 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)
-Macys- to close 9 stores after January
-Linens and Things- closing all stores
-Movie Galley- Closing all stores
-Pacific Sunware- closing stores
-Pep Boys- Closing 33 stores
-Sprint/ Nextel- closing 133 stores
-JC Penney- closing a number of stores after January
-Ethan Allen- closing down 12 stores
-Wilson Leather- closing down all stores
-Sharper Image- closing down all stores
-K B Toys- closing 356 stores
-Lowes- to close down some stores
-Dillard's- to close some stores

REX: An amazing kid...MUST WATCH

2008-11-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

So late night was was watching sixty minutes with my dad..i know we are a cute family lol ad they did a story on this child Rex. This kid is amazing!!! He was born blind and is also autistic but is a master at playing the piano. He hears a song for the first time and minutes later he can pretty much play it perfectly on the piano, as he has grown so has his talents. I attached the link which shows how rex has grown. This kid is amazing.. i couldnt believe my eyes...ENJOY!!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/14/60minutes/main4604368_page2.shtml

Website Portfolio

2008-11-24T07:02:00.001-08:00

Just wondering if anyone is done their website portfolio!? Mine is almost done and I will post it soon! But it would be great to see other student's work! Even if you're not done... it would be great to post it and get some feedback from other before finalizing it and handing it in! :)

Great day in Media Relations!

2008-11-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

The Journalism students posted not too long ago on how great their broadcasting class was - how excited they were to finally see what they do come together! Well the PR students had a similar experience (I'd like to think so anyways) last Wednesday in our Media Relations class! We had to conduct Press Conferences and pretend we were PR representatives for various ppl to Mayors of Cities to high profile celebrities such as Britney Spears and then we got grilled by the "press"! I had an amazing time and I can't wait to have the rest of the Press Conferences next Wednesday!

I just find it so mind boggling that we are almost in fourth year and we are finally starting to do what we want to do in our classes!! I mean I've seen some of the broadcasting clips on Facebook and a lot of the Image Arts students photography... it's AMAZING work! So cool to see how far we have come! :)

Seniors using the internet!

2008-11-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here's some more interesting information on seniors using the net!

Older Canadians are being drawn to the Internet in unexpectedly large numbers, according to a new study of online use across the country.

The latest report by the Canadian Internet Project suggests that 51% of Canadians aged 60 and older are online users -- a higher rate than web use by all ages in many other countries.

Project director Charles Zama ria said the figure is "astounding" and indicates that embracing the Internet isn't just for youth.

What's more, online use by the elderly extends beyond e-mail and web searches, he said. One example: The popular phenomenon of social networking.

As many as one in five elderly Canadians have visited a community or social networking site.

"They're incorporating their grandchildren into their purview and they're engaging in similar activities, learning it much more readily than they would any other technology or any other media. For Canada, that is fairly profound," Zamaria, a professor at Ryerson University, said yesterday.

The study found 78% of Canadians were current Internet users in 2007, up from 72% in 2004.

Online Video Streaming Reels in Women, Older Adults

2008-11-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

As media students, I think we all have a sort of stereotype that older people have no idea how to use contemporary media. Some new interesting research is showing otherwise...

Online Video Streaming Reels in Women, Older Adults

The popularity of online video services has grown significantly with women and adults over age 35 in the past six months, and is helping close the age and gender gap in the online video audience in the US, according to recent research from Ipsos MediaCT, writes MarketingCharts.

Since late 2007, the percentage of female internet users ages 12+ who have streamed a video online in the past 30 days has grown from 45% to 54% - an all-time high for this demographic that is nearly equal to the percentage of men (58%) who have recently streamed video content. The percentage of adults age 35-54 who have recently streamed video online has also risen from 49% to 60% since December 2007.

Video streaming is no longer an online behavior enjoyed exclusively by young males, according to Ipsos MediaCT. Instead, growth in the online video audience is now being driven by other demographic segments.

"It appears the prevalence of streaming video online among younger males may be approaching a ceiling today, whereas the other demographic groups are driving the audience growth here," said Adam Wright, director at Ipsos MediaCT. "The implication for those in the video entertainment industry is that online video - as a medium - appears to be tapping into later stage adopter segments that were perhaps reticent to embrace it even just a year ago."

The data, from Ipsos MediaCT’s MOTION study not only illustrates the large size of today's online video audience, but also underscores the shifting media landscape for many video entertainment consumers, the company said.

“Streaming video is no longer something just teens and twenty-something’s are enjoying, but rather it has become a fixture in mainstream America’s daily routines,” Wright said.

About the survey: Data were sourced from the June 2008 Prevalence wave of fieldwork as part of Ipsos MediaCT’s quarterly syndicated MOTION study, which was conducted via computer-assisted telephone interviews among a representative US sample of consumers age 12+.

Winter is Approaching

2008-11-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

So I was driving home and yet again it was snowing and it reminded me of how much i LOVE winter! NOOOT! I absolutely hate winter, I hate the cold, wet snow. I am not a skiier or snowboarder therefore it has no appeal to me.

I did not always feel this way! I used to love to ski. When I was in elementary school we used to have "electives." This was during the winter period, we would choose a sport we would like to do (i.e. skiing, swimming, bowling, rock climbing, etc), and then once a week for a month we would do our chosen activity. I used to always choose skiing and I loved it. However, after elementary school I stopped skiing. In gr 12 i decided to try it again and I thought it would come back to me naturally. WAS I EVER WRONG!! I was going up to the top of the hills and just going STRAIGHT down, no swerving like you are suppose to do. There was this one specific hill that curved to the right so when you went down you had to turn your body to get down the hill. I went down a few times and managed to turn. I decided to go a few more times, however one of the times I did not manage to turn, I fell, tumbled, did some summersaults (not intentionally) and finally came to a halt. I had people rushing up to me in all directions checking to see if I was alright. From then on, I have not liked skiing and I have not liked the winter.

I was just wondering if anyone else had any stories about skiing or snowboarding. Do you guys like winter?

Amazing Talent!

2008-11-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

Wow I'm on a roll today in terms of posts! Anyway, I found a couple of more really interesting videos on YouTube. I love Leona Lewis, she's an amazing singer. Honestly if I had to choose a voice if I could I'd choose hers!

Leona Lewis - Better in Time [Live]

Here's a band called Boyce Avenue, they do acoustic renditions of songs. Here's one that's really good!

NBA All Star Game

2008-11-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

The Raptors are finally starting to find their rhythm and play impressive ball with a record of 5-4. The main reason for this has been the play of Chris Bosh. He has averaged 25.1 PPG 10.2 RPG and 0.9 BPG. Jose Calderon, and Jermaine O'Neal have also been key contributors so far. Anthony Parker has also chipped in with his offensive play and veteran leadership. Don't forget to vote for these Raptors so they can play in the 2009 NBA All Star Game in Phoenix! Click on the link below.
http://www.nba.com/allstar2009/asb/eng/landing.jsp

Twilight Series

2008-11-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of you are going to think "omg not this again," when you see this post. But i aboslutely LOOVE the Twilight series. I read the whole series and I couldn't put it down while I was reading it. I already bought tickets to see the movie, because i AM THAT excited! What do you guys think about this Twilight Hype? For those of you who read it, did you love it? And for those of you who have not read it and have no plans to, are you tired of hearing about all this hype?

New legislation in Ontario

2008-11-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

There is a new legislation in Ontario for drivers 21 years of age or younger. This legislation includes:

- a zero blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21 years of age.
- a 30 day license suspension for those who speed who are also younger than 21
- Driver's between 16 and 19 will only be allowed to have 1 teenager in the vehicle.

I think this new law is ridiculous.

First of all, yes it's great that there is a zero blooh alcohol limit for teenagers. However, there are many people who are over 21 who do not know their limit when drinking and driving. The 30 day licence suspension is ridiculous, considering that not all of us drag race. Teenagers aren't the only ones who speed. And to not be able to have more than 1 teenager in a vehicle until you're 20 is the most ridiculous part of all. By the time you're 19 you should have your G, and the fact that you can only still have 1 person in the car when you have your G doesn't make any sense. You got your G for a reason! I just think it's not fair to just focus on people under 21. I am 20 years old, I think I am a responsible driver, but if i speed once i can get my license suspended? What if I go 20 over and someone who is 23 years old goes 30 over? That means MY license gets suspended but their's doesnt? What do you guys think?

Justin Timberlake as the Gingerbread Man on Ellen!

2008-11-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

This is an old episode from Ellen, but I was reminded of it by the post below of Justin Timberlake on SNL. If you guys haven't seen it yet, it's actually funny.. I never thought JT could be genuinely funny.

Cooking Oil Injections

2008-11-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

A former korean model turned to injecting cooking oil in her face to improve has skin.. not that she needed to anyway. She started with silicone injections from the black market before the cooking oil. Her face is now disfigured.. Click here to see the video.

Celebrity Websites

2008-11-17T21:16:00.000-08:00

This article is sorta-kinda related to our final project, so I thought I'd share it with everybody! It's a list of the Top 10 Crazy Celebrity Websites. I like how it combines what our class is all about with something a lot of us are interested in: famous people! Anyway, I thought that maybe we can take some tips from people who have money and access to professional web designers as to how we can make awesome websites as well!

I had some thoughts on this list and the people on it:

1. Britney Spears' website is kind of overwhelming; there's so much to look at, read, click, watch. Also, you have the option to enter your email address to find out Britney's "secret". What on earth could this woman have kept a secret from the media - we hear about her all the damn time! Enough already!

2. Michael Jackson's website is neat - I like the Thriller theme. I didn't see the spot ad that the list mentioned, though. I also thought that the Send Michael a Text box at the bottom of the screen was a neat idea.

3. Tom Cruise has a fairly boring website. What's with that wall of text next to the giant picture of himself? Hellooooo narcissism!

4. There's a good possibility that Gary Busey fans made this website in a creepy basement somewhere. This should make everybody who didn't like the layout for our class blog feel much better.

5. Paris Hilton's website could almost be considered classy, if it weren't for, you know, Paris Hilton being involved with it.

Websites 6 to 8 are blah.

9. Tyra Banks is awesome - yes, she is a bit crazy (she makes people's wildest dreams come true, you know) - and this website is pretty nice. I like the animated box on the homepage. This could be a neat idea to use in our projects, but it looks like it would be complicated to do.

10. Enough about this woman, already! I am so sick of her I didn't even bother with her website.

I guess I was expecting more ridiculous examples of celebrity pages on this list. Maybe a list of fan sites would be better (and maybe scarier).

Anyway, good luck to everybody on their portfolios! I hope you guys took some good tips from this list, the most important one being: don't follow Busey's example.

SNL Video

2008-11-17T06:50:00.000-08:00

For all of you who did not watch Saturday Night Live this weekend, Justin Timberlake made a surprise appearance. He was so funny. Here is a skit of him as Beyonce's backup dancer. ITS HILARIOUS!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PjrOEHyM1I

Hope you guys have a good laugh, I know I did!!!

Portfolio Assignment

2008-11-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

Here are the details of the final assignment

Personal Website Portfolio

Create a personal website portfolio using DreamWeaver and PhotoShop. Your portfolio should demonstrate your understanding and proficiency with the material covered in this course.

Your assignment can be submitted by posting it to your personal webspace, and emailing the url, written material and PhotoShop generated mockup to stuart.robertson@guelphhumber.ca

Create a portfolio website showcasing some kind of artwork, and include a brief written statement explaining how the design of your site is effective for its subject matter and intended audience. Include a mockup of the design for your site (please save this image in GIF or JPG format).

Observe all copyright laws for this assignment. A short written statement should explain where all your photos, fonts, and other artwork were obtained.

Include a minimum of 10 pages and demonstrate proper file management techniques.

Develop an effective user interface, and demonstrate basic DreamWeaver skills using valid HTML tags, including meta data, and some type of interactivity.

Demonstrate basic PhotoShop skills, include some type of animation, and optimize all your images for the web.

Creativity and originality are important factors in the grading of this assignment.

Due date: December 3rd

Late assignments lose 10% per day

Last chance date: December 7th

Juke box hero

2008-11-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

I came across this video..

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-CA&brand=sympatico&vid=f56e65a2-047b-498c-b29a-52fb118fa46e

I think its amazing. If you watch it you will see. This little kid can lip sing!!
and he is so adorable.

The Changeling- A WARNING!

2008-11-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

So I just went to see this new movie the Changeling and let me tell you it was definately not what I thought it would be. I thought it was about corruption in the LAPD in the 1920s (which happened in the movie) but it wasn't just about that. It actually bothered me to watch it because it was a true story. I'm not going to give it away in this blog, but this is just a warning for those of you who want to go watch it: research it first. It is definately a very interesting story and one that should be in history books more often. However, I must say it is very disturbing. I am posting this because since we are in journalism this is a news story that you will definately never forget.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Changeling_(2008_film)

That is the link describing the movie and also what it REALLY is about. From this link you can find the news case and what happened. Just a warning.

Great Day in Broadcasting!!

2008-11-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

So I don't know about the rest of you but I thought today, November 13, was an awesome day in broadcasting class. I know we had to get up super early which absolutely sucked, but having gone through the actual experience of a television newscast was amazing. It was so exciting to see our final product brought together. I can't wait until next semester when we are doing it every other week. I know it's lots of work, but to see that work in the broadcast was so gratifying. I can't wait to do it again in two weeks but until then I am definately excited to sleep in until 11:45 next week.

Recession Announcment

2008-11-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

So this morning i was watching the news and they said , that we can state that we are in Recession. The developing countries are in recession and they showed the stock markets down 5% in tokyo.It was predicted, by specialists that this will last till about 2010 and thats just about the time that we finish school.I think its a positive that it finishes around them because most likely more people will start to look for employees.But im just curious about what really is going to happen over the next two years. I mean how much is this really going to affect us, the students.Currently im looking for a job and never had a harder time to look for a job than now even though i have more experience then before.Im more curious about what really is going to happen.
How do you feel about this and how might it affect you?

Recession Announcment

2008-11-13T08:40:00.001-08:00

So this morning i was watching the news and they said , that we can state that we are in Recession. The developing countries are in recession and they showed the stock markets down 5% in tokyo.
It was predicted, by specialists that this will last till about 2010 and thats just about the time that we finish school.
I think its a positive that it finishes around them because most likely more people will start to look for employees.
But im just curious about what really is going to happen over the next two years. I mean how much is this really going to affect us, the students.
Currently im looking for a job and never had a harder time to look for a job than now even though i have more experience then before.
Im more curious about what really is going to happen
How do you feel about this and how might it affect you?

Is Fraud in our Economy Increasing

2008-11-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

So i got home the other day to a very frustrated dad. He was a victim of fraud when someone falsely wrote cheques in his name and spent $108, 000 out of his company bank account. Now i don't know about a lot of you but it seems like fraud is increasing.
I work at Kelseys and we have these new handheld machines that we take to the tables for people to pay with their debit, credit cards or gift cards and so many people ask me why we have them to which i reply that it helps with credit card fraud because you really cant trust anyone. The stories the customers have told me after that is unbelievable. You wouldn't believe the amount of customers that are victims of credit card fraud.
There was one lady who went inside a gas station to pay for her gas. Her NEIGHBOUR was behind the counter and he tried to run her card through 6 times, charging her everytime. Good thing it was a company card and she did not have to pay.
Another woman found that someone had obtained her credit card number and was buying hotel rooms and purchasing a bunch of items. The credit card company phoned her and she cancelled her card before the expenses got bigger.
For those of you who thought putting "ask for id or signature" on the back of your card would help; one of my customers said that she wrote that, went to about 10 stores and not 1 asked her for id or a signature.
I just can't believe what our society has come to. It's a place where you have to put your hand over the key pad as you're typing in your pin number, or check everyday to make sure no one takes any of your cards.
I really like the idea of putting in a pin number on your credit card. However, people just seem to get through anything to get money these days and I think soon they will figure out how to get through that as well.
We just can't trust anyone when it comes to money anymore.

Death Row

2008-11-12T12:45:00.001-08:00

So I was just reading the Toronto Star and found this story about this guy, Rogelio Reyes Cannady, who is blogging from death row in Texas. Reyes is sentenced to death on Nov. 19 for committing 3 murders, 2 on his 18th birthday in 1990 when he killed a boy and his girlfriend, and then for killing his cellmate while in jail. Before Reyes killed his cellmate, he was sentenced to life in prison. Reyes now sends daily letters to a friend who then posts them on the internet in a blog.

I'm not really here to debate whether or not the death penalty should exist, although in reading this story, that question does come to mind. In the way that the story is presented here, it makes me think that Reyes is one of those people who could truly never be rehabilitated, he killed his cellmate after being sentenced to jail for life....maybe he figured that he was there anyways, or maybe there is something fundamentally wrong with him.

I just think that its interesting that this man's story and present view on life, from Death Row, has made its way onto the internet and is receiving up to 17,000 hits a day. Does this man's story belong on the internet? What do you think his goal is with putting his story on the internet? Do you think that people will be called to action to fight for this man's life?

Here's the link to the article. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/535721

Give Twitter Another Chance?

2008-11-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

After Stuart said that we could all get an extra 1% for our final marks if we got 150+ people following us, I went a bit Twitter-crazy. Since the Search feature seems to be down, I just clicked on who people were following, and looked for Twitterers (is that a word? Are they called 'Tweeters'?) who looked like they would follow me back. I began following nearly 100 Twitter-people in the space of a few hours.

What began as a scrabble for extra marks turned out to be kind of eye-opening for me; I found a whole bunch of really interesting people, websites, and corporations! I am following a few gaming websites, news organizations, people from Etsy who have neat things to sell, and a whole bunch of other really neat Twittererers I never would have found without the promise of an extra percent on my final grade.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that a lot of us gave up on Twitter pretty quickly, because it seems pointless and boring when you're just following people from your program, and you keep seeing the same few messages over and over again ("Bored...don't want to study", "Blaaah papers", "Yay weekend", etc). However, giving up on Twitter is kind of like ignoring a whole chunk of the Internet, made up of tiny little interesting tidbits from people all over the place. Once you get into it, it's a lot more fun!

Basically, I am encouraging those of you who gave up on Twitter to give it another shot, and to put more effort into finding Twitter-citizens outside our Web Design class (:

"Thug Disrespect"

2008-11-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

I was reading a news article that in the UK 9 teen thughs raped a fourteen year old school girl.

"VILE gang face jail for raping 14-year-old girl after one of the thugs was 'disresected'"

The main word there is disrespected. Why is it that they thought she did that?
I live in Toronto and I've been around a lot of different people and known a lot of different people. I've came across situations when "thugs" said they were being disrespected by other girls. Mere reasons were because they tried to "chop" the girl and she would not give in or would just not pay attention to the boy. These thugs think that they are some greater human being and that they should be able to control women. Im not saying all are like that im just talking about the selected few.
The article is below:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1915095.ece#OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

I know what they did is wrong and no matter what the girl might have said to them or didn't want to interect with them they shouldn't have done something like that.
What are your opinions on "thugs" or wanna be "thugs" who think that a girl ignoring them /not wanting to hook up with them or says something because they said something to her in a rude manner, and how they react thinking that they can call a girl rude names afterwards or just do what they did to this girl.

Politically-charged celebrations in sports

2008-11-10T06:47:00.001-08:00

On Thursday night, in the midst of leading my Denver Broncos to a beatdown of the lowly Browns (LETS GO BRONCOS) our stud reciever Brandon Marshall scored a touchdown, and then wanted to celebrate by doing something to show how proud he was of America for electing Obama, regardless of race (you can read exactly what he wanted to do in Peter King's column for Sports Illustrated). As King says, Marshall didn't end up doing it because his team would have been cost 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, which is a rule that is another topic altogether. I personally think it was a great try to do something that showed the unity of America after the historic result on Tuesday. And something similar happened on Saturday in the CFL playoffs, when some players from Winnipeg lifted up thier uniforms after a touchdown to revel Obama '08 t-shirts. And it's not just football either: apparently some star NBA players like Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady wrote some political messages on the shoes they wore during their games on election night. So what do you think about athletes making their political views known on the playing surface? Is it appropriate, or should they only do that when they are off the field?

Web Design: Photoshop Assignment

2008-11-09T16:26:00.001-08:00

Ok so is anyone clear on how to exactly to create an animation and how to add it to your banner/button?

I have designed my buttons and my banner...but still need to add animation. Can anyone help? :)

'Tis the season to be jolly!

2008-11-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas is coming up (YAY!), what is on top of everyone's wishlist?

GH GOTHAM GALA

2008-11-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

This probably the most amazing time i've had since arrive to GH!
This years formal was sooo much fun!
You had amazing people!
Great food!
Awesome Music!
Comedic live action skits
Party bags
Batman themed!
and for a bonus! There was open bar!!
I don't know what else you could ask for in such an incredible night!

reflection on T

2008-11-08T09:35:00.001-08:00

So this isn't for anyone to comment on...
but feel if you must..
i didn't realize that the last one would caused so much chaos
i wrote this blog thinking no one would read it and what do you know..
there were a like over 4o post on that simple topic.
Well anyways what i wanted to say is how frustrated i was from someone saying
that If you don't have enough money or have a learning disability and can't handle the work should probably not be here! *i'll try to keep this rated G.
what the hell, who the hell are you go on and say something like that
i have a learning disability myself which make things 10 times harder for me then most people and yes i struggle most time with most assignments that i get.. but i'm still here and not going to quit.. that comment i found disrespectful
thats all i have to really say

Tuition - part 2

2008-11-08T09:34:00.001-08:00

Longest Name

2008-11-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

Apparently, this guy from the UK changed his name so it would beat the longest name on the Guiness World Records. His former name, George Garratt, is now Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine Hulk And The Flash Combined.

I honestly think it's ridiculous.

Click here to go to the article.

Pixels for Pistols

2008-11-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

I dont know if you guys heard but the police is doing this thing Pixels for Pistols. They have a partnership with Henry's sCameras. Basically if a person gives in their gun they get a free digital camera.
What are your thoughs on this?
I personally think its a good idea and people have been doing it. I mean if it gets some guns of our streets it's good and thats what it has been doing. But i find it ironic how the negatives in life like guns always find a way to get rewarded. I mean lets bribe you to give in your gun. Why not give a free camera to someone who gives in like X amount of books, donates food or something like that? That is my issue with that.
Also, most of the guns that were turned in were legal. They are not as much of an issue as the illegal ones. I dont think that someone with an illegal gun will come forward to give their gun in just to get a camera, they know they do not own the gun properly.
What are you opinions on this
The link is the story if you want more information.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_28893.aspx

AN AMAZING PRESIDENT

2008-11-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to express how happy I am that Obama got elected president. I honestly thought it was going to be an easy victory and when i first looked at the beggining of the election and saw that Obama had 200 and McCain only had 90 i knew i was right. But McCain quickly got up to 143 while Obama stayed at 207. When he won I just felt so emotional. We are seeing a part of history, this is something that will go down in our school's history books. I am just so happy that I am able to see it. I have family across the world in Portugal, and they were up until 5 in the morning watching the election. I truly believe that Obama will be the next JFK, a great president and someone people can look up to. I think he will be a good role model and a great leader. I even heard a comedian say that he was a hard man to tease in their comedic routines. I truly hope that people are respectful of him and give him the chance he deserves. What do you guys think?

More Environmental Stuff ! There are Ways you Can Help!!

2008-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended a screening put on by Humber’s Environmental club. They showed the movie Flow: for love of water, and I encourage you all to check it out. I have attached the trailer and it gives a little insight into what the film is about but to really understand all the issues this movie needs to be seen. The movie deals with the issue of water privatization and how the world’s fresh water is running out therefore certain countries are starting to treat it as a commodity. I for one do not agree with this. Water is a God given gift on this planet that every person needs in order to survive. It would be absurd if governments and big corporations tried to start charging people to breathe, so why is it acceptable for them to charge for water? Now I understand why we, in North America must pay for our water, out of the taps it costs next nothing in the grand scheme of things and we have the income to support this. There are 1.1 billion people worldwide who don’t have this luxury. In countries where people are so poor they cannot afford to feed their families water corporations like Suez and Vivendi are charging people what would amount to half their income for a year in order to have clean drinking water. People just cannot afford this so they are forced to get water from other sources i.e. contaminated rivers and streams resulting in MILLIONS of deaths every year. www.flowthefilm.com can give you more information about this issue and you can join an online network called FreeFlo which “is an online social network designed to strengthen the global water activist community, to challenge the privatization of water, and to promote solidarity and water justice for all.” This water and sanitation crisis claims more lives every year through disease then any war does through guns.

This organization has also started a petition to have the United Nations create a 31st Article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 31 would state that “Everyone has the right to clean and accessible water, adequate for the health and well-being of the individual and family, and no one shall be deprived of such access or quality of water due to individual economic circumstance.” If you guys agree with this and believe that it should be added visit http://article31.org/ and sign your names!

This film also deals with the issue of bottled water. Now I am sure you have all heard about this one, the plastic is bad for our environment and has harmful chemicals in it. But the film goes deeper into the issue. A lot of people are under the impression that water coming from their taps is dirty or unclean, so instead people choose to buy bottled. But the truth is our government spends millions a year in order to ensure that the water we are getting from our taps is of the highest quality, and in most cases the water you are getting out of bottle you purchase is coming from the exact same spot that your tap water is. A study was conducted on 103 brands of water and one third of these bottles contained synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic. Also last year the UN estimated that it would cost 30 billion to provide the ENTIRE world with safe, clean drinking water. In North America alone three times this much was spent on bottled water last year. These companies are pumping water for FREE from the same place our tap water comes from and selling it to us at 100% profit! The Environmental club is starting a new program at Humber called BAN the BOTTLE… encouraging us all to think twice before paying for something we can get from the tap. You can get reusable stainless steel bottles from HSF for 5 bucks. Flowthefilm.com provides links to a bunch of different sites that explain all of the abovementioned issues in greater detail!

So one last thing I wanted to bring to everyone’s attention (cause I know this one is like a novel) there is a new-ish search engine on the web: www.ecocho.ca … it has the same results as if you were to search Yahoo… and for every 1000 searches made through this site they plant 2 trees! Which is awesome. So if you keep it in mind it’s a way to help without actually having to really do anything. So I have proposed three small things we can all do to help; stop drinking bottled water, sign the Article 31 petition and use www.ecocho.ca instead of something like google.ca! I would love to hear back from you guys concerning these issues! What are your views? If you saw the documentary what did u think?

Student Jobs

2008-11-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Okay so i am currently looking for a new job but Im finding it difficult. Im looking for a job that gives me flexible hours so i can still focus on my school work but will also pay me more than minimum wage. Many of my friends boost office jobs and say its great cause you dont really do much and at time while you work you can do homework. But when you ask them how did you get in all you hear is "My Mom/dad/aunt/uncle" etc got me in...like ugh!

And i dunno for me, working at a restaurant wont work because i know you dont have a SET time when you get off and i like to plan my days and no my exact schedule....

Also, i would love to try and get a job thats directed to my filed...but when i have applied they ask me if i finished my program yet or if I'm in 4th year.....so there goes that one...

As students, where do you guys work?

Harlem Voters

2008-11-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

Ok so I think a great majority of us are pro-Obama. We've heard about the inspirational speeches and how he's such a great guy but I thought I'd add a little touch of controversy to the whole election process.

Howard Stern recently did a "study" on Harlem Voters. Basically, he wanted to find out if the stereotype about "blacks voting for Obama because he's black" is true. Keep in mind, there are more than 3 people living in Harlem and there are probably more intelligent people that they didn't interview. But Howard definitely makes a point with this clip:

EXAM

2008-11-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

So as most or all of you should know by now, the exam schedule is up!
And according to that schedule, we have an exam for Web Design at EIGHT OH-FIVE A.M.!!!
I don't know about you guys, but I reaaaaalllllyyyy don't want to be at school that early.

On December 1st, we have our Personal Website Portfolio due..and I say we all try to convince him next class to move our exam to that day! =)
Then we can come to class at 12:40pm and do our exam. It's not like he will have anything else planned as it's the last day of class.

This post wasn't really meant for any replies really....more like a public announcement! I guess you guys can put if you agree so we can bring it up next class. (Even though he will probably read this anyway himself...lol)

Obama Victory Speech.. words to remember

2008-11-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

As I am sure everyone knows that Obama won! For those of you that missed his victory speech I thought I would share it here. We learned a lot about speech writing in our PR Writing class last year and our prof raved on and on about Obama's speeches... everytime I hear him speak.. I am reminded as to why. Enjoy....

Blame the video games?!?!

2008-11-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

As I surfed the internet while I was supposed to be paying attention to my prof, I came across an article on the CBC website that stated a young teenage boys body was found today in Barrie. they believe this is the body of 15 year old Brandon Crisp, who left his house on Oct 13th after fighting with his parents over his x-box.

I am sure many of you know the story .... in the end the parents are blaming his disappearance or connecting it to something on his x-box. Really?!?

I definitely have mixed feelings about this .. on one hand yes some wacked out, crazy, psycho person could have lured him through the video game (Like many do to young kids through chat rooms) to meet up with them. But can the parents completely blame a video game for their son spending most of his time playing?

I have heard, and I am sure you have, about the many times video games have been blamed for violence in kids. Is the issue really with the video game or the ability of the parents to dicipline and control their kids?

The Death of a Great Author, Michael Crichton

2008-11-05T11:43:00.001-08:00

Five minutes ago I logged onto Yahoo.com and in the breaking news section the name of my favorite author was listed as dead. Michael Crichton died today after a secret battle with Cancer, he was 66. Crichton was the man responsible for books such as Jurassic Park, Sphere, Congo, and Timeline. He created the long running series ER and has served as executive producer on a variety of movies such as Twister as well as television shows. I read my first Crichton book in starting in grade one. It was the novel, The Lost World which was the sequel to Jurassic Park. At that age between 5 - 6 I may not have understood the complete scientific language that it offered, or the biological sequences which it referenced, but that book was responsible for introducing me to the world of literature which I haven't left to this day. Come on, I work for a Book Company and am a Journalism student. Crichton was an author who challenged thoughts, ideas, and morals. He managed to make science interesting even through its complex formulas, by going to the extreme. Think about it, who would not be interested (for good or bad) if scientists managed to recreated dinosaurs (Novels: Jurassic Park & Lost World), humans having the genes patented by a company (true examples from the novel: Next), or see the wrath of nanotechnology gone bad (Novel: Prey). Through integrating fiction, history, and science in such a way that manages to tell a story. Actually more than a story, an adventure. One that any reader can drop into and know that they are in for a wild ride. To lose an author of this much talent is a huge loss and I know from other fans this is really tragic. Through his battle however he worked on one final book which stands completed but is in limbo from publisher HarperCollins. Hopefully one day people will be able to go on one more trip through his books, his final masterpiece, from a truly amazing writer.

Internships!!!!

2008-11-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

Ok so we just picked our classes for next semi which means soon we will be in 4th year...aka...INTERNSHIPS!

How is everyone feeling about this? I know im excited but every time i think about it i feel overwhelmed...there are so many options but yet where to look. I have tried applying for some internships now but it seems like theres a 2 year waiting list to everything....Has any one else experienced this?

If you are in internships, how did you get them? Where are you at? Any advise for the rest of us?

Giving Money as a gift: Good or Bad?

2008-11-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

lol ok so i thought i would lighten up our blog with an interesting question: When it comes to someone's b-Day is it ok to give them money in a card?

I sorta have a rule.....If im not THAT close to someone and would probably just either waste my money or upset them with my lack of knowledge on what they like..i give them money. But for my family or best friends i find giving them money (unless its really what they want) is a slap in the face. To me it says your not that important for me to take time out of my day and go walk through stores looking for something that screams YOU!

As sad as it may sound, i know i get a bit upset when my parents simply through a couple hundred into a card and say here. I know I know i should be grateful and i am...BUT i would have been more happy is they ONLY spent $30 on an actual gift that they took the time to hand pick. It makes the person, in my opinion, feel special and loved.

What do you guys think?!

New US President

2008-11-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

So, like the semi-obsessed political nerd that I am, I stayed up partly to finish homework, and partly to see who would win tonite. I guess that I just had alot of faith in Obama and didn't want to have to tell my kids and grandkids that I was sleeping when the first African-American man became President.

And maybe its because I watched Oprah today, or maybe because I'm a little tired (I worked at 5.30 this morning) but its making me feel kind of sentimental.....and maybe a little inspired.

Think about it. When someone told you that a black man was running for President, didn't you give at least a small eye roll, figuring that it would never happen? And then it did. I think that maybe right now I'm most inspired by Americans themselves. These are a people who typically have lower voter numbers than we do, and with our last election turnout, thats tough. But today they had an estimate turnout of 75%.......that is admirable. People believed in change, and instead of just thinking that their one vote wouldnt' count, they used it.

So as I said, maybe its Oprah and the lack of sleep getting to me. Or maybe its the fact that the world is on the cusp of something brand new, that could bring changes that are better or that are worse, but nevertheless, we were all able to witness some serious history.

What do you think about Obama winning? Is it going to be better or worse? Who do you think "Canada's Obama" will be? Do you think that Canadians, being the somewhat reserved people that they are, will ever show as much zeal as Americans did this election???

Voting Incentives

2008-11-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

We discussed before about how the media is trying so hard to get people excited about voting. Some people are being pretty creative about it. I found an event on Facebook today that says that Starbucks is giving away free cups of coffee to people who vote tomorrow.

I think Starbucks is on the right track with this event [provided that this is a real event and not just extremely wishful thinking on the part of an American who just reaaaally wants people to get out and vote] but I don't really like the way they went about encouraging people to get out and vote. People shouldn't need incentives like free coffee to vote - they should vote because they actually want to see change in the world.

Can you guys think of any other incentives to vote by other companies? Do you think that these are a good idea, or are they pointless (for example, how will people prove to Starbucks that they voted?)? Would such incentives make you vote?

Sex on TV

2008-11-03T18:07:00.001-08:00

We've all heard the theory that people who play violent video games have more violent tendencies in real life. Some people theorize that gamers who played more violent games got desensitized to violence, which influenced how they saw real-life violence. I never knew whether this idea had much truth to it or not, but I could see why people could maybe believe it was true.

Well, I read this article, Teen pregnancies tied to tastes for sexy TV shows, today, and realized that this theory has a few other applications. The article cited research that linked teens who watched racy television shows to higher pregnancy rates. I think this is the same kind of principle as the video game violence theory; people become desensitized to things they see as commonplace in the media, and therefore incorporate this cavalier attitude in their everyday lives.

Here is the basic gist of the new reasearch:

"[The study] involved 2,003 12- to 17-year-old girls and boys nationwide questioned by telephone about their TV viewing habits in 2001. Teens were re-interviewed twice, the last time in 2004, and asked about pregnancy. Among girls, 58 became pregnant during the follow-up, and among boys, 33 said they had gotten a girl pregnant.

"Participants were asked how often they watched any of more than 20 TV shows popular among teens at the time or which were found to have lots of sexual content. The programs included Sex and the City, That '70s Show and Friends.

"Pregnancies were twice as common among those who said they watched such shows regularly, compared with teens who said they hardly ever saw them. There were more pregnancies among the oldest teens interviewed, but the rate of pregnancy remained consistent across all age groups among those who watched the racy programs."

The article presents opposing viewpoints, and states that this research may not actually prove that sexy tv = more teen parents. However, I think that this research actually is a pretty good start on a very interesting subject.

I know we all think we're smarter than that, we're all pretty media-savvy and we know better than to base our decisions on what our favourite characters do, but think honestly about this. Do you think that the shows you watch have any bearing on your attitude towards sex?

Palin Punk'd

2008-11-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

Yet another interesting story about Sarah Palin.

Punk'd (puhn-gkd) slang: To be made a fool of as the target of an extravagantly arranged prank, as in "You just got punk'd!"

That best describes what happened to Palin on a Montreal radio station when she thought she was talking to the President of France.

Here is the clip..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6QpnaypCe4

Even though it’s a Canadian radio station, the two comedians behind the prank are receiving national coverage. This morning they were flown to New York to do an interview with CBS and are expected to appear on several other American networks in the next couple of days.

We’ve talked about political parodies and whether or not they positively or negatively impact campaigns. What do you all think of this prank?

Two days before the election I can’t help but think that it will/should be somewhat detrimental to the McCain-Palin ticket but then again the American public will most likely have little to no reaction.

Jays Offseason

2008-11-02T18:25:00.001-08:00

The World Series has just wrapped up with the Phillies being crowned World Series Champions, with one person, you know who you are, very excited about Cole Hamels and and his World Series MVP. Congrats goes out to Canadian Matt Stairs. They defeated an incredibly talented Rays team led by Longoria, Upton, Kazmir and Baldelli. Both teams will surely have bright futures with their core of young players on the roster.

The Jays on the other hand, are having their players continue to struggle with injuries and are only getting older and more inaffective. Scott Rolen is a beast when healthy, same goes for Hill, Rios and Wells. Last year's strength was the pitching, anchored by Doc Halladay. The '09 rotation will most likely NOT include A.J. Burnett. This leaves plenty of question marks through the second starter to the fifth starter. Jesse Litsh may have to step- up to be the second starter, which isn't very scary on paper, third starter may be Janssen who is coming off major surgery, Downs may be put into the fourth spot, and Ricciardi's brutal idea that a crappy pitcher will become good again will be the fifth starter. He tried this not too long ago with Tomo Ohka and we know how great that turned out. Look for Freddy Garcia's name to pop up in a low-risk signing as he likes to call them. With Downs in the rotation, and McGowan not expected due back until June, this leaves promising lefty Jesse Carlson to fill the seventh inning void, with a nail biter eight and ninth from Accardo and B.J. Ryan.

The departure of Burnett may be a blessing in disguise. This should leave payroll for a big name bat they need to compete in the A.L. East. It has been reported that if Burnett comes back there's no chance to sign Manny Ramirez, who is obviously a side show but can flat out hit. If the Yankees persuade him to join the Bronx Bombers then Giambi may be a good fit as DH. It could be another long season lol What do you guys think has to be done for these Jays to bring back the glory days of '93?

Man Travels Through Time; Comes Back with Proof

2008-11-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend sent me this video from Youtube about a guy who claims to have travelled through time and even has a video taken by his phone to prove it. After watching it, we talked about time travel and how it may or may not be possible...

See the video for yourself:

I myself am very skeptical, as I find there were a lot of holes in his 'evidence'. Sure, I believe wormholes may exist, but this video.. I don't think so.

Post Secret

2008-11-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if any of you have ever been on this site, or heard of it or read any of the books, but I just wanted to put it out there because its just something really cool and really different.

I dont know the whole story of Post Secret, but this girl I work with is really into it. I used to read the site every week (new secrets are posted once a week) but then I stopped doing so. I recently started reading again because we were talking about it at work.

From what I can remember, Post Secret basically started with this guy giving out post cards and encouraging people to write their secrets on them and send them to him. Over time, it has grown so that people not only fill out the blank post cards, but also create their own out of different sheets of paper and various objects.

The creator compiles the postcards into books and sells them as well as does tours where he talks about the project, shares his favourite unpublished secrets and encourages people to share their secrets. All the money that is raised goes to helping prevent suicides.

The reason that I really like Post Secret is because it really shows how similar people are. I remember I once went to Chapters and sat there reading the whole book because I was just so totally engrossed. Its amazing how many people feel so alone when in reality, there are so many other people out there who are going through the same things as they are.

Alot of the secrets are really sad and upsetting, but there are also lots of them that are really exciting and uplifting, or just flat out hilarious.

I just wanted to post this to encourage you guys to check it out, if you never have before, or as a reminder to visit again if you have.

What do you think, are opportunities like this, an anonymous way to become a part of a group, beneficial to people? Or should people just own their secrets in order to help them move forward?

www.postsecret.com

have fun!

Will Jermaine help the raps?

2008-10-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

For those bball fans out there, the season started off with a solid victory for the raps. Jermaine Oneal showed his value by taking over for big portions of the game. Now before we get ahead of ourselves this was just 1 game but do you guys think the raps can go farther this year? Experts have stated that this year's frontcourt is the greatest in raptor history. Do you agree?

Whos your favorite character?

2008-10-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Third time is the charm to post this.

So i wanted to know, do any of you have a favorite Disney character and why? Or another character of some sort?

Mine is tinkerbell, and if some of you know me you might know that one of my nicknames is Twinkerbellz. I've had this for about 5 years now.
The pixie is free and able to fly where ever she wants to. She also helps people to be free I personally love to travel and if I could fly i would and sprinkle pixie dust everywhere.

I grew up with disney and most likely some of you have as well. I feel as if the type of cartoons that I grew up with are very differant than what's out there now. I believe that the main difference is the type of violence in cartoons.

What are your fav charactors, opinions?

Homicides in Toronto.

2008-10-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder where in the GTA is safest, where all the violence happens?
Check out this map of homicides in the GTA from 2005-2008.
You can sort it by year, age, gender and type of homicide.
Looking at it is really depressing. While I know there are a lot of homicides in Toronto, seeing the map is still shocking.

What do you think should be done about the problem of violence in the GTA ?

Haunted House

2008-10-30T05:06:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of Halloween (since it's tomorrow) I thought I would post about something I saw in the Star about people who claim their home is really haunted.

The family has moved out of their house and are paying the mortgage while renting another house to live in. This is what they claim:

They heard loud noises upstairs when the whole family was downstairs.

One of the little boys in the family said he woke up and felt like someone was choking him

appliances and lights turned themselves on and off,

things went missing and turned up in strange places.

When they were sleeping a plaster column in the kitchen was smashed

while they slept, their phones called people.

Their cellphones started beeping, indicating there was no signal.

Chapman felt that she was being watched and had an overwhelming sense of foreboding.

when the furniture started moving

he heard what sounded like a woman screaming when he picked up the telephone,

Since they moved, neighbours have called them to report lights going on and off in the securely locked home and on one occasion, the hard-wired fire alarms started beeping, although they were disconnected and didn't have battery backup

The article goes on to say that two people have died in the house and that many people have moved in and out of it, usually not staying for more than 12 months

To read the article click here.

What do you think is the house is really haunted?

I think that all the things that happened could have logical explanations behind them and I am incredibly hesitant to believe that it is haunted. I'm not a superstitious person and I think this is something I would need to see to believe.

Canada= Culture Change?

2008-10-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Ok so this may stir up some mixed emotions but meh thats what im here for lol.

So while i was at work i had to coach this new home school Muslim group. Well it was a safety issue for them to wear their head dressings especially the ones which cover their whole face and only show their eyes. They were unable to take it off and so a disagreement aroused. A person beside made a quite comment..."If you move to a diff place which has different norms and different cultural factors shouldn't you change to those?....Other wise dont move there."

What are your thoughts? Is there a certain point where Canada needs to stand up for itself in order to keep its own unique culture? If people want to live a certain way shouldn't they find a place which fits that?

The Saga Lives on...

2008-10-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

So the new guitar hero game is coming out, (if it hasn't already, i'm not too sure) and apparently in this one you can play instruments other than the guitar, thus making it exactly the same as rock band. i saw this commercial on tv and i cracked up. it has kobe bryant, tony hawk, michael phelps, and alex rodriguez all forming a band and playing together. if that isn't publicity then i don't know what is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAgj5eKm8kg

21 and over bars in Canada

2008-10-27T12:26:00.003-07:00

So I have a little bit of a rant to go on... I do not drink, however, I find it absurd that there are bars in Canada (Mississauga and Toronto in my experience) that are 21 and over after a certain time (most commonly 9 p.m.). A local bar in Mississauga, Failtes, recently became 21 and over after 9 p.m. I have a 24 year old boyfriend who has 30 year-old friends. So I can no longer go to Failtes unless I go at 8 p.m. and sit down to eat and hopefully go unnoticed the rest of the night. Now, the legal drinking age in Canada is 19, so why, after 9 p.m., that law seems to be obsolete in some bars is beyond me? What happens most of the time is people under 21 just go to the bar before 9 p.m. and stay there. Are the owners of these bars stupid and just don't realize that this happens? What do you guys think? Are they discriminating against people based on their age? What could their reasoning be? It's not based on the law or any safety issue I can think of to not let anyone between 19 and 21 into a bar after 9 p.m. (since its obviously okay for them to be there before 9 p.m.)..... What do you guys think?

Young & the Restless - my website

2008-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Here is my website. It's really lacking "content" lol but considering I made it rather quickly... I am okay with that.

I can't wait to see everyone else's...

Bday Tiara = Man Magnet!

2008-10-27T10:27:00.001-07:00

Ok so some of you might know that this past sat i celebrated my bday early and got all dressed up as a princess....Tiara, white sparkles dress and heels to finish it off. For my bday i went to a club and this is my third time going to a club on my bday with birthday tiara..... My point?

I have never been picked up or had more drinks bought for me then when i wear my bday tiara...whats up with that?! Why do you think the bday tiara is such a man magnet? Or do you not?

Is it because the guys see it as an easy game (bday girl = major intoxication?.....jerks lol) Is it because it shows the girl is out going and definitely looking for fun? Is it because there's a high percentage that that bday girl will be attached to at least 5 other girls....?

Whats your thoughts?!

Holy Moses Malone

2008-10-26T23:18:00.001-07:00

i warn the faint of heart, for this next youtube clip is highly idiotic and simply not erotic. what the hell was aretha franklin thinking. the only song she should NOT being singing and she goes ahead and does it anyways. that my friends, is what separates the norms from the rebels in society. and aretha franklin, well clearly she is a rebel.

post your REACTION to this video.

PS: tell me why i forgot to add the link the first time...

here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVawmqtn818

Holy Moses Malone.

2008-10-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

POST YOUR SITE!

2008-10-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow classmates,

So by now, we should be done our DreamWeaver assignment. I'm really curious to see what we've all accomplished!

So post your site!!!

here's mine:

FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR FANCLUB

Take a look, tell me what you think!
Getting this finished had to have been one of the greatest feelings!!! :)

BP: Beautiful People.....

2008-10-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

So i watching the lovely network Slice and i almost died when the show "Beautiful People" came on.

Its ridiculous and it was so sad to see that it was based in Toronto. A site where you have be good looking, have money and be single to join. But you cant just fill out an application and bang your in...the current people on the site have to VOTE you in..based mostly on your looks...if your not what "they" consider beautiful....your not accepted. In fact...to stay in this ridiculous network, you have to be rated high...if people begin to rate you low you can kick be kicked out.

This site is furthering societies anxiety about beauty and the thought that beauty will make you be liked and excepted. It reminded me of movies like "Clueless" and "Shes all that"...A girl gets a makeover and now that she's pretty the "in crowd" excepts her into her group...as soon as she beings to slip shes out.

This site is doing nothing but hurting society and young teens.....Agreed?

Something I found...

2008-10-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I was just looking around Cracked.com tonight, trying to forget that evil Law exam, and I came across a really interesting article. Cracked has a lot of lists, which are usually pretty funny and silly and occasionally pretty informative.

This list was different from a lot of stuff I've seen on Cracked. It was actually kind of heartfelt. It's a list of reasons why the 21st century is making us miserable, and I encourage all of you to read it. A lot of it is really true for me, and I'm sure it will be for you, too. It's especially neat for us, because we're all Media Studies students, and we might have a bit of a different perspective on it.

Anyway, check it out.

What do you think about all this?

New Design?

2008-10-22T08:52:00.001-07:00

I know we discussed a new template for the blog, but why has one not been brought in? The blog still looks at boring as ever, we need change!

AL QAEDA ENDORESES JOHN MCCAIN!!!!!!

2008-10-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article I heard about today on the news!!!!!

John McCain 'endorsed by al-Qaeda supporters'

Supporters of al-Qaeda have said they would prefer Republican candidate John McCain to win the US election because he is more likely to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a message broadcast on the password-protected al-Hesbah site, the group said they would also welcome a pre-election terror attack on the US because that would make a McCain win more likely.

In an endorsement that will not be welcomed by Mr McCain's flagging campaign, the group said that if al-Qaeda wants to exhaust the USmilitarily and economically, the "impetuous" Republican presidential candidate is the better choice.

"This requires presence of an impetuous American leader such as McCain, who pledged to continue the war till the last American soldier," the message said.

"Then, al-Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush."

"If al-Qaeda carries out a big operation against American interests," it said, "this act will be support of McCain because it will push the Americans deliberately to vote for McCain so that he takes revenge for them against al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda then will succeed in exhausting America till its last year in it."

Mark Salter, a senior McCain adviser, had no immediate comment.

The message is credited to a frequent and apparently respected contributor named Muhammad Haafid. However, Haafid is not believed to have a direct affiliation with al-Qaeda plans or knowledge of its operations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am really interested in what you guys think of this because I am speechless! I am interested to see what John McCain has to say about this !
What are your thoughts? How is this going to effect John McCain and his campaign?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/johnmccain/3238578/John-McCain-endorsed-by-al-Qaeda-supporters.html

The reason we're not getting many hits?

2008-10-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

I found this article about blogs this evening (when I should have been studying for Law!), and thought it was too interesting not to share.

It's about how blogs are becoming obsolete, how corporate and professional blogs have taken over blogging's grassroots beginnings and turned it into something for profit.

I can totally understand Paul Boutin's point - I always hear advertisements for blogs for products and politicians, but I am finding it more and more rare to hear that actual people have them. This makes me sad - blogging was a neat way for strangers to connect and express themselves in a brand new medium. Now it has been corrupted - like so many other aspects of the Internet - into something completely different from its original intent. However, isn't this kind of corruption inherent to the Internet - Stuart taught us that it was originally created for physicists to exchange academic papers. Oh how far we've come, right?

I thought this was kind of an interesting article to post for our class, especially because it argues that Facebook and Twitter are replacing personal blogs. Do you guys agree with that statement? Where did all the "true" blogs go? If any of you have any blogs, do you think you'll get rid of them - not necessarily due to this article, but maybe for the reasons it discusses - anytime soon?

THe Big Hit..Madonna

2008-10-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ok so recently Madonna and her husben reported getting a divorce. However I've noticed that Madonna is always around. I do not know about many of you , but her music has always been appealing. Weather it's from the 80s or just a song with Justing Timberlake she has always been around.
She is a 50 year old that as a women i have to say she looks fantastic. But more than her looks It's unbelivable the energy that she still has.
Obviously she has become a legend and made a mark in the world to be remembered.

From the pop culture music that we listen to right now who do you predict will be the next BIG HIT such as madonna?
I think that maybee Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, will be remembered.

Any thoughts?

Afghan Journlalist Gets 20 Years for "Blasphemy"

2008-10-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

OK so BBC was on my TV and a teaser came up about an Afghan Journalist who was on trail for downloading files off the Internet that questioned women's role in Islam. He originally sentenced to death, but his sentence was reduced to 20 years in prison. He only made a few comments on the article criticising the prophet Muhammad, and it was printed in a local news paper. While the arrest may not have been shocking in a Muslim nation, the original sentence shocked many, especially journalists around the world.

Now I know other religions deserve respect, and the new courts in Afghanistan should not be interfered with if the West wants to win over their trust. But why are we involved in protecting and re building a nation that has such opposing values to our own?

How can we expect democracy to flourish in the nation if the freedom of the press is not upheld?

Here's a link to the New York Times article.

What do you guys think, do you think the Conservative government should speak out against this? I would hope they do, but it is a very touchy issue with only a few years left in Canada's involvement in the nation

Posting my website!

2008-10-21T12:44:00.001-07:00

Sorry this is like the millionth post about the Dreamweaver project!

I am having trouble uploading my Dreamweaver file thing to my personal webspace. I followed the instructions here, but my site still says "Watch this space!". Does anybody have any clue what I might be missing? I just want to be done with the project!

A Second NHL Team for Toronto/GTA?

2008-10-21T10:35:00.001-07:00

So the Globe and Mail reported today, that the NHL Governors have been discussing placing a second team in Toronto. If it were to happen it would be more likely to be a relocation than an expansion. They have ruled out the possibility of putting one in Hamilton because it would ruin the Sabers but they have not specified where the team might go. I think it would be nice to be able to catch an NHL game without the crazy sold out prices of the Leafs all the time. Thoughts?

You can read the full story here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081020.shoalts21/BNStory/National/home>

Will Dion step down?

2008-10-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

At 2:00 p.m. today, Stephane Dion will be speaking for the first time since the disappointing election results. A lot of people, Liberals and non-Liberals, are calling for him to step down as head of the party.

Do you think Stephane announce his resignation as party leader today? Whom do you think will replace him?

What made you the Coolest Kid on the Block?

2008-10-18T11:35:00.001-07:00

I wanted to start another favourite thing thread, so I was wondering what one childhood experience/sport/toy make you feel super cool as a kid?

Like for my 8th birthday, I think it was, I hosted a street hockey game in my drive way because it had just recently been paved. From then on I would have games with my friends until we were too big for the drive way and had to move into the street.

but for that short time we were on my drive way, we went all out. Using sidewalk chalk my friends and I would draw out all the blue lines, goal creases, and even made home team logos on my drive way until it rained and we would, gladly, do it all over again.

Well that's what made me feel cool when I was a kid, what are your favourite memories from your innocent years?

Where does our blog stand?

2008-10-17T19:49:00.001-07:00

So does anyone know where our blog stands in terms of search results now?

Will adding tags/labels to our posts help the search engines find this blog faster and boost our ranking?