After a long day of giving thanks for all the bountiful things we are blessed with, families across the nation load up in their cars and drive out to the stores to stand in line and fight people over new sales. This tradition seems to get worse and worse every year.
I remember when I was 14 years old, thought I ran the world, and I insisted on going shopping with my mom that year. We went to bed on thanksgiving night and we woke up and went to the stores when they opened at 5:00 Friday morning. That was early for us! This year stores are opening as early as 8:00 Thursday night, which is now creating this craze of "Grey Thursday" - the pre-sale of the sales.
I think the media has made this shopping madness worse and worse. Usually, we would get the Thursday Thanksgiving paper and lay out what we were going to shop for the next day. Now, the news stations make "Black Friday" and "Grey Thursday" major headlining stories. Advertisers live for Black Friday commercials. There are now apps you can download that will help you find the best shopping spots with the least "traffic" etc.
The media constantly mentioning the ridiculous deals creates a hype in the community. The hype is what makes advertisers want to create more ads. They hype is what makes companies want to create more and more deals and open earlier and earlier.
The media frames how society acts and moves. If the media didn't talk about or advertise these amazing deals every Thanksgiving holiday, there would be less of a hype and more time spent with families and loved ones. I'm all for a good deal, but I think the shopping madness has gotten out of control. Thanksgiving is a holiday about giving thanks, being grateful for what we have, and spending time with loved ones. The media has turned it into a ridiculous consumer holiday.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
When political figures do drugs....
It recently came out that the Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, stated that he has smoked crack cocaine. He then got very violent with the press when they questioned him on it later. A few weeks later he made a statement that said he would've admitted sooner if the question had been posed to him correctly. They previously asked him, "Do you do drugs?" not "Have you done drugs?" Two different questions, two different answers.
There's a stir in the media over this, many residents of Toronto no longer want him as their Mayor. They don't want someone who does drugs running their city. Someone asked me recently my thoughts.
Do I think that what someone has done in their past should be held against them for life?
It depends.
And let me explain using a hypothetical situation.
James is a 21-year-old college student. He's at a party where people around him are smoking marijuana. He decides he wants to try some. He does, doesn't really care for it, and never does it again. Two years later, James graduates Suma Cum Laude from his University and lands a job with a major law firm in a big city. Fast-forward ten years and James is running for a political office in his city. One of the people he went to college with comes forward and says he saw James partaking in recreational drugs once. Should James still be allowed to run for office?
Yes, he should. He was 21-years-old, he experimented, he learned from it, he became a better version of himself, and is now a respectable lawyer. That one night in college shouldn't matter. He was in his learning phase. If James had continued to use marijuana recreationally, let it affect his grades, dropped out of college and committed a major crime (assault, battery, murder, etc.) then I could understand why people wouldn't want them running his city.
Think about yourself for a minute? Is there something in your past that you wish you hadn't done? Is there something that if you were running for office, if it were to come up, it would haunt you? If you just cringed at the thought, then you're in the same boat.
Now, I don't think James' situation is the same as Mayor Rob Ford's. But I do think it's something that needs to be brought up. I don't think something like this should be a factor in whether or not someone is qualified to run for office. I feel the same way about adultery with political figures - just because someone isn't happy in their marriage, doesn't mean they aren't capable of running a city or state.
I know my opinion is extremely controversial, so I would love to hear what others think!
There's a stir in the media over this, many residents of Toronto no longer want him as their Mayor. They don't want someone who does drugs running their city. Someone asked me recently my thoughts.
Do I think that what someone has done in their past should be held against them for life?
It depends.
And let me explain using a hypothetical situation.
James is a 21-year-old college student. He's at a party where people around him are smoking marijuana. He decides he wants to try some. He does, doesn't really care for it, and never does it again. Two years later, James graduates Suma Cum Laude from his University and lands a job with a major law firm in a big city. Fast-forward ten years and James is running for a political office in his city. One of the people he went to college with comes forward and says he saw James partaking in recreational drugs once. Should James still be allowed to run for office?
Yes, he should. He was 21-years-old, he experimented, he learned from it, he became a better version of himself, and is now a respectable lawyer. That one night in college shouldn't matter. He was in his learning phase. If James had continued to use marijuana recreationally, let it affect his grades, dropped out of college and committed a major crime (assault, battery, murder, etc.) then I could understand why people wouldn't want them running his city.
Think about yourself for a minute? Is there something in your past that you wish you hadn't done? Is there something that if you were running for office, if it were to come up, it would haunt you? If you just cringed at the thought, then you're in the same boat.
Now, I don't think James' situation is the same as Mayor Rob Ford's. But I do think it's something that needs to be brought up. I don't think something like this should be a factor in whether or not someone is qualified to run for office. I feel the same way about adultery with political figures - just because someone isn't happy in their marriage, doesn't mean they aren't capable of running a city or state.
I know my opinion is extremely controversial, so I would love to hear what others think!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
This year I'm thankful for....Health Insurance?
Yesterday I saw this tweet made by President Obama, or at least his social media marketing person.
After I laughed, I was annoyed. I sincerely hope that this wasn't our President, that it was his social media manager - who needs to be promptly fired. Here's what is wrong with this post:
First things first - Yes, I get it. Health Insurance is extremely important, especially during the cold/flu season. You never know when you could come down with a fever that could put you in the hospital and cost you a fortune in medical bills. Personal note: I have a chronic disease that, during the colder months, often disables me from being able to walk. Sometimes it gives me so much pain that I have to go to the hospital and get pain medicine and evaluated. It affects my blood pressure and my anxiety. So do I think it's important to have health insurance, especially during months that you could get sick faster? Yes, I absolutely do.
However.
And this is a big however....
The holidays are for spending time with loved ones reminiscing, following traditions and making new ones, doing the things that are truly important. Is talking to Aunt Sally, that you haven't seen in over a year, about visiting the new healthcare website really what I want to be doing? Do I want to sit around a fire on Christmas day with my family after opening presents and say, "You know what would be great? Let's all sign up for health care."
Of course these are hyperbole examples, but do you see how ridiculous this sounds? I get it, market your new website/healthcare plan on every social media site that you have. Just don't try to bring my family and my personal time with loved ones over the holidays into your political business. It's a marketing ploy, but it's a terrible one.
Healthcare.gov has zero to do with my family Christmas.
And it won't.
Ever.
After I laughed, I was annoyed. I sincerely hope that this wasn't our President, that it was his social media manager - who needs to be promptly fired. Here's what is wrong with this post:
First things first - Yes, I get it. Health Insurance is extremely important, especially during the cold/flu season. You never know when you could come down with a fever that could put you in the hospital and cost you a fortune in medical bills. Personal note: I have a chronic disease that, during the colder months, often disables me from being able to walk. Sometimes it gives me so much pain that I have to go to the hospital and get pain medicine and evaluated. It affects my blood pressure and my anxiety. So do I think it's important to have health insurance, especially during months that you could get sick faster? Yes, I absolutely do.
However.
And this is a big however....
The holidays are for spending time with loved ones reminiscing, following traditions and making new ones, doing the things that are truly important. Is talking to Aunt Sally, that you haven't seen in over a year, about visiting the new healthcare website really what I want to be doing? Do I want to sit around a fire on Christmas day with my family after opening presents and say, "You know what would be great? Let's all sign up for health care."
Of course these are hyperbole examples, but do you see how ridiculous this sounds? I get it, market your new website/healthcare plan on every social media site that you have. Just don't try to bring my family and my personal time with loved ones over the holidays into your political business. It's a marketing ploy, but it's a terrible one.
Healthcare.gov has zero to do with my family Christmas.
And it won't.
Ever.
Media Stirs Sports Politics
When most people hear the word "politics" they immediately think of the government. However, politics is the theory of influencing another on a civic or individual level. There's a big story circulating in the sports world about bullying in the NFL.
You can read about the story here. The story has been ongoing but it has obtained much media attention, especially the news segments of Sports Center. Most viewers tune in to see the highlights from sporting events from the night before, but lately the top story has been this bullying issue.
This is not the first time the sports world has made court cases major news stories. Remember Tiger Woods' sex-addiction incident? They were all over that. Granted, they are a sports-news channel but they spent more time than was necessary on this story. Viewers were frustrated at how intense the coverage was and how there was a lack of actual sports information. Viewers wanted information on injuries related to their teams, the standings for playoffs, etc.
The media made these issues "political" - they didn't merely report the facts, they sat on their show and argued different sides of the story back and forth. They made jokes, poked fun at, and teased about it. They wanted to voice their opinion on which side of the story they stood and why. This isn't reporting the facts, this is political banter.
CNN and Fox News aren't the only channels with shows that have political banter. Many shows on Sports Center turn a simple sports-related news story into a political discussion.
You can read about the story here. The story has been ongoing but it has obtained much media attention, especially the news segments of Sports Center. Most viewers tune in to see the highlights from sporting events from the night before, but lately the top story has been this bullying issue.
This is not the first time the sports world has made court cases major news stories. Remember Tiger Woods' sex-addiction incident? They were all over that. Granted, they are a sports-news channel but they spent more time than was necessary on this story. Viewers were frustrated at how intense the coverage was and how there was a lack of actual sports information. Viewers wanted information on injuries related to their teams, the standings for playoffs, etc.
The media made these issues "political" - they didn't merely report the facts, they sat on their show and argued different sides of the story back and forth. They made jokes, poked fun at, and teased about it. They wanted to voice their opinion on which side of the story they stood and why. This isn't reporting the facts, this is political banter.
CNN and Fox News aren't the only channels with shows that have political banter. Many shows on Sports Center turn a simple sports-related news story into a political discussion.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
SNL Mocks Stress
Saturday Night Live is the king of taking a political stress and turning it into something the nation can laugh about. They use this tactic to get ratings, sure, but the main point is to bring to light a heavy political situation.
The following sketch is a, hilarious, look at how stressful President Obama's second term has been.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/560086#i0,p0,d0
Whether you're Democrat or Republican, you have to admit that it's at least a little funny. SNL airs on NBC, which is known to report more left than other stations. Regardless how supportive they are of the Democratic party, they are able to efficiently point out the problems their party is making in congress.
To me, this shows a level of unbias. Sure there's a jab at the Republican Party at the end of the sketch, but as of late, SNL has poked fun at both parties equally. No political figure is off limits, even political figures in Canada get poked fun of. They recently did a sketch poking fun of the Toronto Mayor who was crude to the media and was accused of doing crack.
SNL will always receive criticism for poking fun at political figures, but that's their job. These political figures should know better by now. While NBC might be known for its bias toward the Democratic party, they are fair in poking fun at both parties when it is deserved.
The point of these sketches is not to completely make fun of a certain individual, it's more to make the nation relax over stressful situations.
Whether you're Democrat or Republican, you have to admit that it's at least a little funny. SNL airs on NBC, which is known to report more left than other stations. Regardless how supportive they are of the Democratic party, they are able to efficiently point out the problems their party is making in congress.
To me, this shows a level of unbias. Sure there's a jab at the Republican Party at the end of the sketch, but as of late, SNL has poked fun at both parties equally. No political figure is off limits, even political figures in Canada get poked fun of. They recently did a sketch poking fun of the Toronto Mayor who was crude to the media and was accused of doing crack.
SNL will always receive criticism for poking fun at political figures, but that's their job. These political figures should know better by now. While NBC might be known for its bias toward the Democratic party, they are fair in poking fun at both parties when it is deserved.
The point of these sketches is not to completely make fun of a certain individual, it's more to make the nation relax over stressful situations.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Single Digit Numbers in Enrollment For Obamacare
http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/11/01/the-truth-comes-out-obamacares-website-enrolled-a-grand-total-of-six-people-on-oct-1/
After reading this article, I couldn't help but laugh a little. More than it was funny that only six people in the entire United States have enrolled, it was a little scary. It's scary to think of the millions of people that either couldn't access the website, didn't know about it at all, or simply don't care.
So what is the biggest problem? Is it a malfunction with the website that can't handle the traffic of the entire country? Is it the lack of education or knowledge on the matter? Is is the fact that some people just don't care? Or could it be that the media hasn't provided us any information?
Not to blame the media for , yet another, problem in the country but it could be a factor in why there's a lack of knowledge on the new healthcare website. Not only is there a lack of knowledge on the actual website, there's a lack of information on what it means for the consumer and how it will affect them versus the insurance they have now.
I think if the media helped break it down a little more and got the word out better, more of the general public would know and/or care about it. I know about it because I care enough to research it, but the media needs to remember that most of the country relies on the media for their information. Not that many people do their own research on a lot of things, especially things like this. The media literally has to walk people through things a lot of times, which is a little sad if you think about it.
After reading this article, I couldn't help but laugh a little. More than it was funny that only six people in the entire United States have enrolled, it was a little scary. It's scary to think of the millions of people that either couldn't access the website, didn't know about it at all, or simply don't care.
So what is the biggest problem? Is it a malfunction with the website that can't handle the traffic of the entire country? Is it the lack of education or knowledge on the matter? Is is the fact that some people just don't care? Or could it be that the media hasn't provided us any information?
Not to blame the media for , yet another, problem in the country but it could be a factor in why there's a lack of knowledge on the new healthcare website. Not only is there a lack of knowledge on the actual website, there's a lack of information on what it means for the consumer and how it will affect them versus the insurance they have now.
I think if the media helped break it down a little more and got the word out better, more of the general public would know and/or care about it. I know about it because I care enough to research it, but the media needs to remember that most of the country relies on the media for their information. Not that many people do their own research on a lot of things, especially things like this. The media literally has to walk people through things a lot of times, which is a little sad if you think about it.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Government Shutdown
This week on Saturday Night Live, the cold open was (hilarious!) sketch poking fun at the government shutdown. There were two astronauts stuck in space trying to call NASA for help, but the only person there was the janitor because the government shutdown. It was a bad pun, but it still made me think.
I've been sitting her shrugging my shoulders and making jokes about the government shutdown for the past two weeks, mainly because I didn't understand it. It didn't directly affect my small world at that exact moment so I didn't care. I made jokes about it on Twitter and Facebook, but I didn't realize how much it was impacting the world until yesterday.
I stopped for gas and the guy at the pump next to me smiled and waved. I smiled and said, "Hi. How are you today?" I was expecting him to give a short answer and that be the end of the conversation; I was not prepared for the answer I received.
"Pretty good, just trying to figure out how to kill time since the government kicked me out of work."
I was floored, I didn't quite know what to say. I tried to be lighthearted about it, and asked him where he worked. He worked at Kennesaw Mountain Park, and the government shutdown meant that the park was closed. He told me how difficult it's been for him because he loves his job and he loved supporting his family. He has two daughters and a grandson, he lives in the Acworth area, and he told me he's just trying to make ends meet with this economy.
Eventually, both our cars were full of gas and we parted ways but I could not stop thinking about that man all day. It broke my heart to think of him without a job and being unable to pay his bills to support his family. Then it hit me. He's not the only one whose job was put on hold for the past two weeks. There are millions of people across the country in the same position that he's in. They're struggling to make ends meet as it is, then the government shuts down and forces them to not come to work. Many of them rely on every dime that comes out of their paycheck, and now they don't have it.
It really opened my eyes to be more aware of the political goings on. Just because I didn't lose my job during this government shutdown doesn't mean it won't affect me. It will affect me. I have a mountain of student loans to pay back. That's not going to go over nicely with a government that is trillions of dollars in debt. This is affecting me and I've got to open my eyes. Not just me, we all do. We're the future of this economy and if we're ignoring all the signs now, how will we make it better in the future?
I've been sitting her shrugging my shoulders and making jokes about the government shutdown for the past two weeks, mainly because I didn't understand it. It didn't directly affect my small world at that exact moment so I didn't care. I made jokes about it on Twitter and Facebook, but I didn't realize how much it was impacting the world until yesterday.
I stopped for gas and the guy at the pump next to me smiled and waved. I smiled and said, "Hi. How are you today?" I was expecting him to give a short answer and that be the end of the conversation; I was not prepared for the answer I received.
"Pretty good, just trying to figure out how to kill time since the government kicked me out of work."
I was floored, I didn't quite know what to say. I tried to be lighthearted about it, and asked him where he worked. He worked at Kennesaw Mountain Park, and the government shutdown meant that the park was closed. He told me how difficult it's been for him because he loves his job and he loved supporting his family. He has two daughters and a grandson, he lives in the Acworth area, and he told me he's just trying to make ends meet with this economy.
Eventually, both our cars were full of gas and we parted ways but I could not stop thinking about that man all day. It broke my heart to think of him without a job and being unable to pay his bills to support his family. Then it hit me. He's not the only one whose job was put on hold for the past two weeks. There are millions of people across the country in the same position that he's in. They're struggling to make ends meet as it is, then the government shuts down and forces them to not come to work. Many of them rely on every dime that comes out of their paycheck, and now they don't have it.
It really opened my eyes to be more aware of the political goings on. Just because I didn't lose my job during this government shutdown doesn't mean it won't affect me. It will affect me. I have a mountain of student loans to pay back. That's not going to go over nicely with a government that is trillions of dollars in debt. This is affecting me and I've got to open my eyes. Not just me, we all do. We're the future of this economy and if we're ignoring all the signs now, how will we make it better in the future?
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