Malia

Here is a list of 20 songs that I listen to when friends are over and we are all just sitting around... so, the feeling would be a combination of comfort, conversation, naturally, in no particular order:

1.) Pump It Up- Elvis Costello
2.) Sittin by the Dock of the Bay- Ottis Redding
3.) Crazy Game of Poker- OAR
4.) Notorious Thugs- Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs
5.) Go Your Own Way- Fleetwood Mac
6.) Shot Through The Heart- Bon Jovi
7.) Lovesong- The Cure
8.) Sweet Caroline- Neil Diamond
9.) Satelite- Dave Matthews
10.) Echo- Incubus
11.) Steal My Kisses- Ben Harper
12.) That's Amore- Dean Martin
13.) Devil Went Down to Georgia- Charlie Daniel's Band
14.) Dosed- Red Hot Chilli Peppers
15.) Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrison
16.) Guantalmera- Los Lobos
17.) Hey Jude- The Beatles
18.) Stairway to Heaven- Led Zeppelin
19.) Hotel California- Eagles
20.) Goonies Theme- Cindy Lauper

Bob Garfield is discussing the recent change in war tactics in Iraq- from Guerilla warfare to a more American style and certainly an "American media style" war. He is specifically speaking about opperation "Phantom Fury," an effort to re-take Fallujah.

Read more!

In an article that the New York Times published on March 7, 2004, the theme centers around the issue of transgendered representation in colleges and questions the isolating affect of heterosexual vocabulary, thoughts and language expressed in the media and mainstream ideologies. Fred A. Bernstein writes in the article “On Campus, Rethinking Biology 101,” that more and more people are pushing for the rights and recognition of transgendered, transexual, and transvestite populations. It brings up the question of what constitutes a male and what constitutes a female? This leads me to the criticism of the media that only focuses on the specific sexual preference of heterosexuals.

Read more!

The movie Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism is an independent film devoted to investigating the different realms of Fox News. They analyze the techniques, technology, and prerogatives that Fox News uses to create media and news messages. Outfoxed incorporates a variety of statistics, interviews, documents and narrative to form a detailed and collaborative assessment of the ideals and goals of Fox News. This movie calls into question the role of a news station and the direction that journalism is taking.

Read more!

This criticism by Carl Hiaasen sarcastically analyses reporters' involvement and coverage of hurricanes. It questions a journalist's job and the accuracy of hurricane reporting. The dialogue between Bob and Carl is hilarious and creates an atmosphere where the ideas are inferred and not actually said. Hiaasen says that because the competition between channels is "so intense," it creates an over-dramatic representation of hurricanes. He begins to describe the job of a hurricane journalist and advises to "...remember. A wet, tired and weather beaten appearance is crucial to your credibility as a hurricane journalist." In the wake of new information about hurricane Ivan threatening the coast of South Florida, this analysis of journal coverage is pertinent. Carl Hiassen says that because journalists try to make every bit of news dramatic and energetic, when a real disaster actually occurs, it is trivialized. He said that the journalists even have cliché visual images and catch phrases. He jokes that the bending palm tree is a favorite. It looks extremely dramatic to see the branches blowing and the tree bending and that it is exciting to hear that the journalist has “never seen anything like it” when in actuality, they probably have. Journalists also like to warn people that “conditions are deteriorating and that everybody should hunker down.” These phrases are reminiscent of the show Who’s Line is it Anywhere, when the improve actors are in front of the green screen, but only the audience can see what is behind them. They like to throw out generic phrases similar to those of a hurricane journalist because they are meant to excite and entertain while remaining broad. Hiaasen says that the most reliable information is through the radar and weather center, which the locals have caught on to. They wait for more accurate information instead of reacting to the dramatic news headlines. In conclusion, Carl Hiaasen sums up the state of hurricane reporting in three words: “conditions are deteriorating.”