Jimmy Dean Sausage on Current TV

http://current.com/items/88324481_angry_jimmy_dean_sausage_customer_video

This pod is a hilarious video created about a real life complaint. Someone called the Jimmy Dean sausage company and left a crazy rambling message. The man sounds like someone from the blue collar comedy tour. He's ranting because Jimmy Dean changed the size of their breakfast sausage. He says that with the large size of his family, it's impossible to feed them with the puny size of the new sausage. Watch this video if you need a good laugh!

The Electronic Frontier Foundation

Mann's article brings about some interesting points. A good writer would not think twice about plaigiarizing a colleague's latest novel. People would not be caught dead jumping over the rope entrance to an art museum. But, these very same people would be quick to accept a pirated version of Microsoft word. I can say this because I, too, am guilty. I believe that digitized media is easier to violate when it comes to copyright, but that doesn't make it right. Blatent copy and pasting in academic work is something that I think warrants consequences. Maybe some notion exists among society that traditional sources of media or journalism are "real" works of art- they deserve to be untainted by the world of cheaters and stealers. But, when it comes to digitized media, well, "that's just a bunch of number crunched code with dashes and hyphens stuck in between. Anyone could make that if they have the time". It's kind of surprising that we ( the average Joe) can still think this knowing that we could never design something comparable to Microsoft Excel or Office. To say that digitized media breaks down all notion of copyright is going over board. But in today's society, no one's looking, so why not.

Website Reviews

It was really interesting to see everyone's hard work this semester.

Chelsie- your page is awesome. I love the color scheme and all the different design elements. Your table is really unique. I like the update that you have on your home page that lets people know what new things you have added.

Diana- I know you're still working on things, but what you have looks good. The colors are very you! Can't wait to listen to your podcast.

Ryan- or should I say, the "man" of the class? Your website is great. I like the MSU theme. The quotes page is a nice touch. I must say that I agree with some of those. I like the song that plays in your podcast. Good job! oh...and way to upload that You Tube Video.

Arvind- your website is good. It's white and there's no information on it. YAY !

Heather- Your website is very cute. I love the puppy pictures. The website really reflects you personally, and I think that's important. The idea of your podcast is original. good job.

Linzi- You did a really good job on your website. The colors look great and I really get a sense of who you are. I know we've been stressed this semester, so its great that you could still get things done so well!

Learning this semester...

Working with the different programs this semester really intimidated me at first. I am by no means what I would call a computer savvy individual. BUT... it's the end of the semester and I am wrapping up my website project and if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty darn well! I learned the most about Dreamweaver, naturally- because I had to open dreamweaver everytime I made any type of edit. Working with Audacity was probably the most fun. Editing audio is really alot easier than it would seem. Once I got the hang of it, i really enjoyed playing around with it. I already knew a little bit about photoshop- but this semester i still learned a few new things. All in all, I feel great about the new knowledge I've gained. I know I will be able to use it in my career in public relations- and to me, thats the most important thing!

My Video Project

The video I will be creating and uploading to my website is going to be an instructional video. I will be showing how to wrap a Christmas present. Since we are in the midst of holiday season, I think this video will give some tips to those last minute Christmas shoppers. My fiance' Ryan will be the person wrapping the gift. I Check out the video link on my website to view it. Happy holidays!

Movies

The films gave a really dramatic look at what may be - well most likely- to come. The only thing is that i don't see the future of our media being so dramatic and extreme. As time progresses, we are fed tiny morsels of upgrades, new must-haves, and more that seem to make the transition to new things a little smoother. Certainly, the technology of 2015 holds a stark contrast to what we had 10 years ago, but as we are a part of the evolution, the wonder of the "evolution" seems to get lost in the process. I think that at some point in the future, our televisions will begin to encompass more senses than just sight and sound. Scientists have already discussed special sensory technology that would allow watchers to smell or even feel things that they see on the tube, all from their comfy couches. I also see GPS tracking becoming more involved with personal devices like cell phones or i-pods. The video touched on this, and I thought it was right on the money. People will be able to interact with mass audiences via their own personal broadcasts. You could think of it as kind of a 3-D blog. These are just a few of the things that our technology today forbodes...but growing up in today's world, we know that their are no limits to what can be done.

My Podcast: The Hills Report

The podcast I am developing is called The Hills Report. It is a look inside of the popular MTV reality show The Hills. The podcast will be updated weekly as new episodes of the The Hills air on Monday nights. I will be hosting the show and my co-host is Ryan Terrell. The tone of the podcast is a lighthearted, fun review of the events that happen in the lives of the 20-something Hills stars. Each podcast will be about 15 minutes long. The podcast will open with a brief review of last weeks episode, and the podcast will end with a look at what's to come next week.

Podcasting

http://web.mac.com/brown7905/iWeb/Michael%20Website/The%20Moscars/The%20Moscars.html

This is a pod cast mocking the real Academy Awards show. Because the real show is 3 hours long, it is interesting to see how someone could cram 22 categories into 5 minutes.

Remediation- pros and cons of the WWW

There seem to be many more apparent strengths than weaknesses when it comes to the web as a communicating tool. In fact, at first glance, there seem to be almost no weaknesses at all. Perhaps this is because the web has become almost everyone's primary tool of contact...whether its an IM, e-mail, MySpace page, or text message, which is essentially an e-mail. The most obvious strength of the web is its speed. An IM or e-mail can reach around the world in seconds. Another strength is the innovation of the web that provides unique methods to communicate. For example...the web cam. It allows parties to speak to one another and see what's happening at the same time. E-mail is a web tool that offers great efficiency. The list serves at the university, for example, get one message out to hundreds or even thousands of people with the click of only one "send" button. There are weaknesses to the web as well. The book discusses the desire for "hypermediacy"- the need to feel "in the moment." The web fulfills this to an extent. But, when it comes to viewing Van Gogh's Starry Night in person, or through a window on the web, there is just no comparison. The web is fast and easy, no doubt , but it can also diminish the personal nuance that one-on-one contact brings to a relationship. Some people fear that children growing up in this tech-time will have diminuitive people skills due to their dependency on the web and faceless communication. Maybe we, generation "y" got lucky...we have seen a bit of both worlds...the value of a handshake and a warm smile, and the quick efficiency of a blog, e-mail, or social network.

Good Website vs. Bad Website

The website I chose for a bad design is the website for the Lake Charles Chapter of The League of Women Voters. It really lacks appeal as far as visual aesthetics. Also, many of its links lead to expired pages, or nothing at all. I am currently doing a public relations campaign for the League, and revamping the website is one of my team's suggestions.

The website I chose for a good design is the Nike website. I'm sure it helps that they have top of the line technicians and a near limitless budget, but none the less, the website appears to be top notch. The color scheme is dramatic and really sets a tone for the entire brand. It is easy to navigate around the website, and it includes videos as well as other miscellaneous things to look at. This website is a real winner in my opinion.

File Sharing

There is certainly no denying that the file sharing boom of programs like Napster, Kazaa, and LimeWire have sharply declined sales of music, movies, and more for the entertainment industry. However, as a young American guilty of "sharing" I'm not in any position to point the finger of guilt at anyone. Granted, I am probably more old fashioned than most because when it comes down to the music of my favorite artists, I always seem to bite the bullet and buy the actual CD. For most other music however, I am one of the millions that subscribes to LimeWire to retrieve hundreds of the latest hits in seconds. When it comes to solving this problem, I'm not sure that there is a logical way to do so...at least not in the near future. Technology, advanced as it may be, is not to the point that it can police every individual's activities online. The book discussed the idea of copyright chips that would work almost as an electronic tracker-monitoring, observing, recording, and charging for every online exchange of what is called " intellectual property". This, like most things high-tech, will have its loop holes, and once they are exposed, a new method of policing will have to be enforced. It would be nice to rely on the honesty and goodness of "the people" not to illegaly acquire the work of these multi-millionaire artists. But honestly, as a college student making a little over minimum wage, it can be somewhat difficult to really see how sharing some songs online is really going to take food off of Beyonce's table. I really do not want to sound completely insensitive, but I fear these may be the similar views of the majority of those who share files online. It's easy, fast, and of course inexpensive. All of these qualities provide a lot of motivation to keep the file sharing process alive...making it that much more difficult to combat the trend.

My website proposal

My student website is going to be an overall look at things that are important in my life. I will include updates of different organizations and charities that I am involved with such as Children's Miracle Network and the Fisher House. I will also highlight my favorites in music, upcoming artists that I am enjoying, and being a movie fanatic, I will offer reviews of the latest releases that I've seen. I am very interested in entertainment in general, so the website may also touch on some television programs or series that are of interest to me. The website will just be a potpourri of my general interests and passions that I would like to share with others. I would like to keep the aesthetic of the website bright and colorful, mostly focusing on primary colors. I am a typically happy, upbeat person and would like the website to reflect that.

Bloggin' for Barack

I really enjoyed this blog because I am interested in politics, but more importantly it is fueled by students and their involvement with the Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama. In the past voter turnout among young people has been extremely low, resulting in involvement campaigns like "Vote or Die". Blogging about candidates, however, is a revolutionary way to reach young voters and keep them informed of upcoming speeches, rallies, or events that the candidate may be involved with. Check out the Students for Obama blog and get updated on the latest progress and news!

New Communications- are they revolutionary?

The Death of Distance-
Cairncross touches on the fact that communicating internationally has become cheaper not to mention ten times easier than years past. With the shift towards a global economy, this change is absolutely revolutionary. A phone call from the US to China that would typically take forever and also be quite costly can now be replaced with direct contact over the world wide web. This form of communication "simplicity" has perhaps eliminated some jobs, but has nonetheless increased efficiency for industry and commerce that is much needed in the business world today.

Rebalance of political power-
This "revolution" has really manifested itself as of late in the use of the internet (particularly YouTube) to make direct contact with political candidates. The men and women running for and holding office have before seemed to be somewhat untangible without going through levels of bureaucracy or inside connection. Now, as we see with the YouTube debates, Presidential candidates are directly responding to the questions and concerns of we, the little people. These responses are not through standardized letters sent out to constituents thanking them for their concerns and promising change. These candidates are give a world stage to give responses and opinions thanks to media like CNN, YouTube, and other facets of the 24 hour news reel machine. In place of the system in which information is filtered down after being cleaned up and packaged nicely for the american public is a new system in which the American public is in constant demand of new, current, truthful information.

Increased mobility-
The mobile revolution is one that some would say trumps all others. The fact that a college student may bring his or her laptop computer to class and access the internet to find examples or complementary information to lecture material is an astounding concept. Nearly no one is without some form of mobile communication these days, if not multiple forms at one time. GPS systems, PDA's, cell phones, and wireless web have made our lives easier because the neccessity of being stationary is no more.

Hey there! it's me, Taryn