7:40 a.m

"I feel alive and the world turning inside out yeah! and floating around in ecstasy/so don't stop me now don't stop me cause I'm having a good time havinga good time"

Queen, and the lovely voice of Freddy welcome me to the conscious world this morning. Don't Stop Me Now is my go to wakeup song, never failing to pass a smidgen of energy onto me even if I've only gotten four hours of sleep. I stumble out of bed, hit the dismiss button on my ihome (which is playing the MP3, the leading music format) scan the projected weather, and haphazardly search through my drawers for an outfit that is somehow both stylish and protective of me in body numbing temperatures. I grab a flannel, a pair of jeans, and slide on my UGG boots- so much for stylish. I fumble around for my toothbrush and toothpaste and dance around a little to the song that is still playing in my head. As I arrive in the bathroom and proceed to fight cavities, I hum the tune of "Don't Stop Me Now" and catch myself brushing to the beat of it. I finish up, jog slightly to my room, grab my keycard and bag and head off to start my academic day. I briskly run to class, half out of need to escape the cold, and know that I can accomplish anything today because after all "I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky, like a tiger- defying the laws of gravity."

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8:30 a.m

I sit in my Marketing class and fight a losing battle to keep my eyes open. Fluorescent lights and a college sleep cycle don’t mix well together. Today my teacher has decided to give us a “treat” and show us an interview he had with the owner and creator of Steez, an apparel store located downtown. My teacher pulls up the video on his computer from YouTube, and presses the play button. The lights are flicked off, my eyes can finally rest. I notice some different production techniques such as lighting and pacing. I notice that this is also an example of convergence, as it was originally on a VHS, and now was viewable on YouTube.

Powertools

Credit: onlynylives.com

10:30 a.m

After my eight a.m class, I take a quick hour power nap, and flick on the television. One of my favorite shows happens to be on, Friends. Friends is a sitcom, something that I don’t get to watch very often, considering dramas, and reality television are more popular theses days. This episode is the one where Chandler accidentally chops his toe off with a knife, and when they get to the hospital the doctors realize that his friends have brought a baby carrot on ice, instead of his toe. I catch myself laughing out loud, and thinking of all of the good times with my own friends that I have had while watching this show. I decide to continue watching TBS until my afternoon class.

Credit:benliles.wordpress.com

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12:45 p.m

I sit in my business class and I can feel my eyes start to glaze over. My teacher never actually teaches until the last fifteen minutes of class, and even then it’s a very irrelevant PowerPoint. He decides to discuss football and beer with the few favorites he has in the class. Instead of falling asleep, I decide to open my laptop. I click on one of my most visited sites, Stumbleupon. I might not be learning anything relevant in my Business class, but at least I’ll find something useful on here. I love to bake and cook, and I always new and exciting recipes to try. At the very least I’ll get a laugh or two in. To me, when using Stumbleupon, I’m participating in web 3.0, or a layered connected database. Here's a cool picture of a recipe I found.

Credit: noblepig.com

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1:50 p.m

I rummage through my bag for my phone, the Droid Incredible. I dial my friend’s number, making a not to check the notifications that I have after. We chat for a bit and decide to meet up in the cafeteria for some lunch. As I walk I check my e-mail, Facebook, and tumblr. Seems that my Mom’s Christmas present has been shipped, my best friend is in a Facebook official relationship, and a few people have reblogged my posts. I manage to gain all of this information before I even hit the dining room hall doors, how’s that media convergence for ya?

Credit: newcellphones.org

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2:45 p.m

I have a meeting with my advisor at three o’clock in Perry hall, and since I was already across the street, I decided to head over early. As I wait to withdrawal from the school and get my transfer papers, I pull out a copy of The Week. The Week is a weekly publication that takes all of the week’s happenings and puts them together in a neat little format. I laugh at the “Only in America” section, and stretch my Neocotrex as I try to take in the politics that lace the issue. The Week tends to rival the New Yorker, both falling into the elite magazine category. I manage to squeeze in a few more articles before I’m beckoned in.

Credit: theweek.com

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3:30 p.m

The meeting went surprisingly well. I am now officially no longer a student at Champlain College after the Fall semester. I decide that this is pretty exciting news, and decide to tell my friends. I open up my laptop, get comfortable on my bed, and pull up Facebook, the site that lets you “create personal profiles, upload photos, and post messages.” I blast them with a post, tagging them with the convenient @(insert name here) feature. I find myself again being in awe of Facebook, and how it has totally and irreversibly changed the way most of us live our lives. I cannot go to the cafeteria, a party, or anywhere in public really without it being referred to. Good job Mark Zuckerburg.

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4:00 p.m

There’s an hour until dinner, so I decide to kill some time by playing my favorite game, the Sims 3. A.k.a the most addicting game ever. “Critics argue that games like the highly popular Sims franchise offer "some of the voyeuristic kicks of a reality TV show.” When I say this game is addicting, you should know that I originally uninstalled it from my computer before coming to college, because I didn’t want it to interfere with my social life. I have and probably always will be a Sims junkie. There’s something about the game that I just can’t get enough of. I think it lies in the way I can control all of the aspects in a person’s life that I maybe wouldn’t be able to in real life. Sounds pathetic huh?

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11:00 p.m

Sitting on a couch at a party is one of my favorite hobbies. I enjoy nothing more than people watching. My sport is interpreted though by something that cannot be described as anything but a Transformer slowly dying. Some people might refer to it as Dubstep. I refuse to acknowledge this as music. After all, it is a man or woman pushing a few buttons on a computer and laying it over the same played out sound of womp womp womp.Personally, this type of music would fall at the very bottom of the culture skyscraper, which includes “soap operas, rock music, shock jocks, and video games.”

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2:13 a.m

I finally get into my bed, and curl up under the covers. Time for bed! I can’t get the stupid beat of the Dubstep playlist out of my head, so I reach for my trusty iPod, which happens to be “the leading music and video player.” I scroll down to my sleepy time playlist and close my eyes. I quietly reflect over the day and make a few plans mentally for tomorrow. Soon I am out like a light, oh what a medium filled day it has been.

Credit:tinypic.com

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Media Meditation: Champlain in 60 Seconds

A. What specific contributions did YOU make to your team's production of your video?

For this video, I bounced around ideas with Taylor. I made the license plate collage, did some voice overs, and also chose the music.

B. What grade do you feel YOU earned for your work and participation in your team's video?

I believe that we all worked and contributed to this project equally. We all deserve A's, and Taylor an A+ for putting it all together.

C. What was the hardest aspect of making your video?

The hardest aspect of making the video was finding music that worked well with the flow and concept. Also, it was difficult finding instrumentals.

D. Other than finishing the VIDEO, what was the most rewarding aspect of making your video?

I think it was rewarding to form bonds with my teammates over the whole course of the project.

Song Airline, Delta's Failed Project, But Successful Branding Campaign.

Not many people have heard of Song Airlines, probably because it only flew for three short years. Song Airlines was a project by Delta, an air service that provided cheap flights and exceptional customer service. Due to rough economic times and established competition, it eventually failed.

The purpose of my blog post isn't to discuss their success, or rather lack of it, but the way in which their marketers, and advertisements teams made this brand happen.

Before launching Song Airlines, the marketing team extensively researched and studied thousands of people. They looked into what aspects made flights more enjoyable, what colors exhibited which emotions, and what styles made the flier most comfortable. The results weren't surprising. People wanted fun, passionate, and helpful flight attendants, and comfortable seats with a lot of room and entertainment. Song delivered. Their staff sang the welcome over the loud speaker, interpretive danced out the safety instructions, and ensured that all needs were met, promptly. They were even outfitted in uniforms designed by Kate Spade.The customers sat in leather seats, stretched out with plenty of legroom, enjoyed personal televisions that allowed them to interact with other fliers, and even watched live T.V. These might not sound that innovative these days, but remember, this was 2003, and these flights were cheap.

The airline was built around creating a brand, a brand that could be advertised and marketed to attract customers of all types. Song's marketers assessed all demographics and created an archetype for each, with a name. For example, Kate was a mother, who drove a stylish SUV, was intellectual but enjoyed Glamour magazine as her guilty pleasure. Even though Song may have failed, they provided the advertising and marketing world with a wonderful example to follow.

Photo Credit: http://www.brandingserved.com/gallery/Song-Airlines/382085

Likealittle, Champlain Likes it a Lot.

Introducing likealittle.com, the new social media experience that is taking the Champlain campus by storm. It's virtually the college's version of Craigslist's Missed Connections section. It's whole purpose is to anonymously let strangers know that you think they're cute.Posts are made by indicating the location of the encounter, the sex and hair color of the person you're looking at and then entering the flirt. Sounds stupid, but boy is it addicting.

The site was launched on October 25th 2010, and already has activity in all fifty states. This is pretty impressive, considering it has a somewhat limited audience. The social networking site Facebook started at a college (exclusively for college students), one that rivals, Stanford-the spawn point of likealittle. The site's creators seem to be passionate and entertaining people judging from their About section and I would not be surprised if this is the Internet world's next big thing.

At Champlain, it already is. I will admit reluctantly that this site had already become part of my daily routine. Gmail, The New Yorker, News, Facebook, Likealittle, Stumbleupon. Don't judge me too quickly- it has all of the makings of an addictive site. As humans, we love to think that someone is taking notice of that new shirt we just bought, or the daily sessions to the gym. We love interaction, and acknowledgment, even if it is anonymous. In fact, the anonymity factor adds to the fun. We can put ourselves out there, gauge the reaction and then proceed based on the results.

The future looks bright for likealittle.com, but only time will tell if the success can compete with other social networking sites.

Picture credit: www.stanforddaily.com

Sorry no video, there's none out there yet.

Sneak Peek : Media and Me

7:40 a.m

"I feel alive and the world turning inside out yeah! and floating around in ecstasy/so don't stop me now don't stop me cause I'm having a good time having a good time"

Queen, and the lovely voice of Freddy welcome me to the conscious world this morning. Don't Stop Me Now is my go to wake up song, never failing to pass a smidgen of energy onto me even if I've only gotten four hours of sleep. I stumble out of bed, hit the dismiss button on my ihome, scan the projected weather, and haphazardly search through my draws for an outfit that is somehow both stylish and protective of me in body numbing temperatures. I grab a flannel, a pair of jeans, and slide on my UGG boots- so much for stylish. I fumble around for my toothbrush and toothpaste and dance around a little to the song that is still playing in my head. As I arrive in the bathroom and proceed to fight cavities, I hum the tune of "Don't Stop Me Now" and catch myself brushing to the beat of it. I finish up, jog slightly to my room, grab my keycard and bag and head off to start my academic day. I briskly run to class, half out of need to escape the cold and know that I can accomplish anything today because after all "I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky, like a tiger defying the laws of gravity."

Youtube

Like Ye or Not, You Ears Are About to Experience an Album Like Nothing They've Ever Heard Before

Kanye West is no stranger to controversy, attention, or praise. Thanks to his new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, he won't have to, well just yet anyway. I'll be the first to tell you that I'm not particularly a fan of hip hop or even rap. My musical collection seems to fall into a neat little Indie/Alt Rock, Folk package. But I won't deny that I enjoy a hip hop beat or a decent rap verse every now and then, and I definitely won't turn down a listen at the masterpiece that this album turned out to be.

Kanye West isn't exactly a likable guy, remember that Taylor Swift VMA incident? Or even farther back, the New Orleans rant? He isn't George Bush's favorite person, (but then again people aren't exactly quick to jump up and claim George Bush as their favorite person either) but he sure knows how to produce an album. This album shouldn't work, and maybe that's where the beauty lies. It combines hip hop, with progressive rock, classic piano, disco, tribal beats, some cello, and of course that lovely auto tune. Kanye doesn't just mix genres, he hosts a collection of featured artists from Elton John and John Legend to Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. He doesn't miss a beat, literally, and it comes together better than it should. The fourth track on the album "All of the Lights" exemplifies this go big or go home style perfectly. Boasting an impressive eleven featured artists, yes eleven, it steals the show.

The lyrics are as clever as ever with "too many Urkels on your team, that's why your wins low"on Dark Fantasy and political on Gorgeous' "Inner-century anthems, based off inner-city tantrums/Based off the way we was branded/Face it, Jerome get more time than Brandon/and at the airport they check all through my bag and tell me that it's random."With this album, Kanye sets the hip hop world back on track. He not only begs us to demand more out of our mainstream artists, but delivers a masterpiece that they can look to as an example.

Photo credit: MTV News, video Youtube.

Facebook Stalking, Soon to be Our Generation's Past-time. PB#4

What was I doing with my life before Facebook? Oh, that's right... not wasting countless hours of my time learning minuscule details of stranger's lives. Facebook is a genius invention, it provides us with the ability to take our social scene (and a few others) and have it at our finger tips. The success lies in our desire as humans to look at people that we know on our computer screens. It also allows us to lurk our "friends" and figure out all the details that they are willing to share, which is more than you might think. This, my friends, is what we call Facebook stalking.

And thankfully, Mark Zuckerberg and his lovely team have made this infinitely easier with the new "View Friendship" option. All you have to do is click that little button, and the relationships and interactions between your stalkees is neatly compacted into easily readable and organized sections. Talk about convenience.

I'm sure that almost every person with an active Facebook account has lurked a few times, (or a few hundred) after all that is half the fun of Facebook. Find your ex significant other, check their relationship status, scan their pictures, a process that millions of people have engaged in. Facebook collects all of the small things we wonder about our friends and acquaintances and presents them in a pretty package that is just so easy to unwrap.

Is this healthy? Probably not. But is it normal? Absolutely. Gone are the days of having to ask around about a person's views, morals, and character. (How boooooooring) All we need is a computer, a Facebook account, and a few hours to waste.

Photo Credit: http://hubba-u.com/page/4/

How Far Is Too Far.. ? PB #3

Most everyone could agree that the internet is a wonderful tool for communicating. It is an outlet for sharing ideas and information. Though it has many advantages it can also be utilized in a malicious way. This can be seen in the case of Dayna Kempeson. Dayna got into a terrible accident and when firefighters got to the scene, instead of aiding Dayna, they took footage of her mangled body. The firefighters can be heard saying such things as "Smell like she's been drinking. There is a piece of skull right there on the console" and "I was wondering what that smell was. Hold that down for me. Oh, my God!" The video was eventually uploaded to the internet and spread virally. Dayna's parents received news of the video two months after her tragic accident. You can read the full story here.

This is without a doubt a horrible situation. It is heartbreaking to watch her parents speak about the incident. And it is terrible that a firefighter, someone who's job it is to take care of the public could be so heartless. The real question lies though in why this video circulated so virally. In a digital age it is no surprise that our culture is heavily reliant on sharing news through the web, but where is the line drawn on what is appropriate? Would physical hard copies of these photos have been passed around so freely? And how has our reliance on technology shaped our way of handling a situation? It troubles me that the fireman's first response was to take footage of this dying woman, and that his companion saw nothing wrong with it. We live in a world where it seems that the first response we have to a situation involves updating our Facebook statuses.

Technology can be a wonderful thing, but as with all things discretion needs to be used. Etiquette and moral responsibility should not be tossed aside on the internet. We as citizens need to stop hiding behind our computer screens, and stand up for ethical use of the internet. Sharing information is vital, but there is a line, and it needs to be re-traced.

Photo credit: CNN.com

Real Simple Magazine

Thesis:

This national women's multimedia magazine strives to provide it's readers with tools to de-stress, simplify, inspire, and help make their lives more satisfying.

Five Facts:

• Real Simple's reader demographic is equally divided between the age groups of 25- 35, 35-45, and 45-55 years old.
• The design of the magazine appeals to educated women, and is strongly based in a strict color palette, and white space.
• Each issue has a tear out section in the back with a featured recipe, inspirational quote, wallet calendar, and quick organizational tip.
• Each issue has a section called New Uses For Old Things, that uses old household items in new innovative ways.
• Real Simple marketing plan involves sending a free magazine to anyone who wishes to preview it.

Triune Brain

This magazine is word based and relies heavily on the use of the Neocortex. There are many informational and organizational techniques that exercise the neocortex. The limbic brain is also effected by the use of white space, "clean" colors, and beautiful pictures that implement lighting.

Trends

This magazine exemplifies the trend of convergence by being available in both print and on

the web.

Principles

Real Simple uses a wide variety of production techniques, words, pictures, interactive segments, and how to videos. There is emotional transfer in some of the personal stories and examples (love, inspiration, happiness.)The segments are pac

ed in a way that doesn't overwhelm the reader.

Persuasive Techniques

Real Simple relies heavily on the plain folks technique, incorporating tip, advice, and stories that feature and pertain to every day women. Testimonial is also involved as seen in many articles being written by educated and informed consumers. Las

tly, value messages are strongly implemented by reinforcing that a simple lifestyle is the key to happiness.

Mid-Term Exam- Ravishing Reflective Response!

1. I think the most important thing that I've learned so far is how to change my attitude about media. Before this class I went through the motions, without really stopping to think about what I was consuming. This class has taught me to question and analyze the things that I come across every day. As I surf the web ( I can't believe that I just used that phrase) and stumble upon media, I now look in depth at what is on my screen. What messages are being conveyed to me? How is this shaping my attitudes and actions? All in all this class has made me a more educated and informed citizen of (media &) society. Oh and I learned that Twitter is actually pretty cool too.

2. I've learned that I enjoy blogging, it comes easily to me. I also have come to realize that I enjoy media more than I had originally thought. In turn I have become more immersed in this course, leading to me thinking more in depth about the world that I live in.

3. I wouldn't really change how I've approached this class. I always read the chapters and blog on time. I engage myself, and focus all of my attention on the subject at hand. I think I've missed one blog, so I guess if I took the class over I wouldn't have that happen.

4. In all honesty I wouldn't change a thing about this class - it's close to perfect. I enjoy coming here everyday and leave with my head spinning, thinking of media. The only thing I could suggest is incorporating the book more, and additional open discussion about trending topics.

5. Films- The films are a nice break from time to time, but I'd rather watch the short clips on Youtube, most of the time they are more powerful and informative. I thought that Reel Bad Arabs was an excellent choice though, it really engaged the whole class.

Personal/Class Blog- The blogs might be my favorite part. It's a perfect way to implement media into our class as well as share our opinions, views and personal stories with each other. It's a good way to get my classmates opinions that I might not have heard otherwise.

Power Tools- I have mixed reviews about the Powertools. I think they are an important part of the class, and that they teach us many important aspects of analyzing media. They are an imperative part of our learning process but at the same time I feel like we focus too much on them. The class is called Media and Society, not Powertools 101.

Quizzes- I think these are implemented well. They are good "check up" on the lessons. Also I like when we go over them, it is nice to hear other student's thoughts and ideas.

Book- I love this book. It's probably the most enjoyable textbook I've had to use. It's current, engaging, relatable, and interesting. PLEASE USE IT MORE.

South Park Mirrors Reality.. Which is Scarier? PB#2

So while thinking about what I would blog on my personal blog (because I'm obviously thinking about Media & Society 24/7) I was sitting on my friends couch when the No Internet episode of South Park came on. This is one of my favorite South Park episodes because it is so startlingly true. The episode begins with the family discovering that they have no internet, they soon run over to their neighbors who also realize there is no internet (gasp!) Panic obviously ensues, as seen here.


Even South Park "out delivers all cable programs among boys and men ages 12-34" (pg.193) it relates to all of society.While this show is obviously funny in general, as lewd as it can be- it's actually quite terrifying. Terrifying because it is an accurate portrayal of what would happen if the internet suddenly stopped working. We are a society so dependent on our internet that even if the internet went down in one small town it would be treated as a disaster. I witness it in the halls of my dorm as students struggle to get their internet to work . Obscenities are screamed, tears are shed and lives are threatened. (it's that extreme, I swear) Lives fall apart when there is no internet. Period. This episode forces us to take a good luck at what the availability of internet has done to us- the way it has altered our daily lives. Looking into the mirror isn't always a pretty thing, it can be an eye opener. But just like the summer diet I tell myself I'll go on after looking in the mirror every pre-summer season, the effect doesn't last long. Until my life turns into this episode of South Park, I'll probably just appreciate and soak up all the internet I can, while it's still here. And while I'm at it, I'll watch some more episodes of South Park.

It Gets Better... Hopefully on a Global Scale Too. PB#1

It seems that the only news we hear about these days is whether or not Lilo will end up in the slammer, while this may be engaging to some the real focus should be on the civil rights movement of our time. I'm not about to go on a rant of how ignorant the people of our society can be, or how in the 21st century we could still be so small minded (even though I should) instead I'm going to shed light on a wonderful project that a man named Dave Savage started. This project was founded to raise awareness about the recent rise in suicide among gay teens. You can read his article, and visit the youtube channel.

This channel encourages adults to film videos of themselves discussing the issues and obstacles they have overcome. It shows that even though society can be cruel and unjust in relation to gays, it can be overcome. The videos are personal, inspiring and often heartbreaking. The message remains clear though, thing will get better. Hopefully these videos will reach the countless gay teens out there who are constantly ridiculed for simply being human, for wanting love and companionship. It is a tragedy that this debate is still going on, but a small victory that this channel perseveres on youtube sharing the message for the interworld to see. Celebrity Gossip columnist Perez Hilton even hopped on to show support.


As this project continues to spread and grow, hopefully so will tolerance and understanding. After all ignorance breeds fear, and the only way to qualm these fears is to educate, and in a society so reliant on media(especially the internet and youtube) this will serve to teach the many out there that gay rights are human rights, and that gay teens need not to worry any longer about being mistreated.

Things will get better, hopefully for all, and for good.