Soundtrack of my life.

California Adventures: West Coast Whistle Stop!

2011-07-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

There are few things more sacred to me than my time at West Virginia Wesleyan College. It is, for me, the happiest place on earth. It is really like a family (one that you really enjoy!). There's creepy uncles, the drunken cousins, the dramatic aunts, the loving grandparents, and everything in between. The entire community is a wide range of crazy characters that would not exactly fit in on an MTV reality show, but stand a chance for an NBC sitcom. I spent four years there learning and appreciating the little quirks! As with any family, there are sometimes that I have to remember that others on the outside might not exactly see the normalcy that I do when I return. However, I own it. It is what it is-- and there is NO part of my college or community that embarrasses me. I like that some of the letters are missing from the K-Lounge sign. I like that I feel confident that I'll see everyone there at the end of the night. It makes me happy to know that there will likely be a Sheetz run at some point before I pass my ass out. (Even if it means a pit stop at the car dealership on the way back). I like that the only all night restaurants are Sheetz and the Donut Shot. I love WVWC and Buckhannon, WV.

And like I always do, I assume that if I love something, so will everyone around me. (Fatal personality flaw, I know. As a student of PR and Counseling, I recognize I should know better-but don't). So-- I invited two of my dearest friends from grad school to join me in the journey from Delaware to WV. And, boy, what a journey it was.

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I believe an awesome time was had by all. We hit all the hot spots! Allburgers, CJ's, K-Lounge, 88, Sheetz, Theta Chi, Aggie front porch-- and one of my favorites, the Whistle Stop. While I was a student at WVWC, I spent time at each of these wonderful establishments. I'd say K-Lounge was a favorite, as my friend Tom and I had our own barstools. However, the 88 was a great place for strong drinks with some of my strongest role models. Allburgers was music and the greatest variety in crowd. (I really miss Beer & Bards...)

Famous or infamous flaming Dr. Pepper shots. Remember
to put out the flame completely before drinking. Photo
courtesy of Emmy Wingard.

But the Whistle Stop was reserved for especially rowdy nights. The night that I broke my blackberry into many pieces-- and later stashed in a bag full of garlic fries. (I'm sorry N-Telos & Blackberry). Whistle Stop was the stop on the way back from campus because my friend Meaghan insisted that I try a Rattlesnake Shake. It was off the beaten path, and for some reason I remember seeing people drinking out of Mason Jars.

My kind of place.

And as it turned out, Beth and Nicole, my friends from Delaware, liked it, too. Or at least, played along.

Merced, 7:30 PM in mid-June.

Now, fast forward two months. June 2011. Poor Beth-Berry is stuck in crappy Massachusetts, while Nicole and I are basking in Sunny California! Well, I don't know if basking is the right word: I'm baking (Merced, CA), and Nicole is trying to stay warm (SLO, CA). And I think it's fair to say that we're having an awesome time! While our internship sites are like 3 hours apart, and neither of us have cars, we've made this the summer of travel! We have been doing our best to explore the best of the Golden State-- and trip one included me heading south on Amtrak to Cal-Poly! (I should say that Amtrak is now my preferred method of travel. Seriously, the best.)

I arrived nearly an hour early! I made friends with a truck driver on my way there who was going to pick up a truck. He had like 7 kids, and did huge hauls across the country. I wish I could remember his name. I do remember that he was originally from Phoenix, and I shared that I was planning on going there for a conference next March. (NASPA, here we come!) His mom runs a Mexican restaurant. Again, I probably should have written it down-- but I figure if I go to one, I'll just ask if the lady working if she has a son with 7 kids that lives in Sacramento.

Check out my album for
more pics.

ANYWAYS! This was only the beginning to an amazing trip! Nicole and I were pumped to get out and experience this tourist town-- we were going to close the bars down! See what this town had to offer! I, unfortunately was not prepared for how cool the evening was--but I had my awesome UC Merced sweatshirt-- so I thought I would be fine! And we were off-- camera in tote! We walked down and over the woods, heading for Pappy McGregors. Only half of us was assaulted--while the other half felt threatened (A deer came from the woods-- Nicole felt sure that it was a cannibal, and proceeded to try to knock the living hell of out me. (Okay, that may be a tiny bit exaggerated, but if a comedy director stumbles upon this blog before a drama, I want him/her to see the potential- and also recognize just how funny I am. Kristin Wiig, please love this.))

From Pappy McGregor Fail Photo Shoot.
A knight in shining armor!

So, spoiler alert for those of you who haven't seen National Lampoon's Vacation, it was closed. And no night life to be seen for miles. We could walk for another mile, maybe more, to get to the next bar, but since it was after 12, we were worried it might not be worth it. Especially if we got lost-- and it took us even longer to find the places we were trying to find. We decided to call it a night after a quick photo shoot-- and really hit the road the next morning. So, that's what we did!

We woke up, and boom-- there was Enterprise to pick us up! When they asked where we were going, we answered honestly, "We dunno yet."

We started at the Breakfast Buzz, which Nicole tells me, is rated highest for Breakfast in San Luis! And it was very tasty-- and packed! Luckily, we got seats right away at the breakfast bar. We didn't make friends there, but it was only because the guy next to us sent a weird vibe. Usually, I'm all over that, but for some reason, today it didn't feel right.

After our delicious breakfast, we headed down to Pismo Beach! Where, of course, I forgot my camera in the car. It was freezing there. So, I felt no need to wear sunblock. I later regretted that decision, as I was red, gross, and later peeling. I tried to be a beach person, just hanging out and catching some rays, but I quickly became bored and told Nicole I was going for a walk. AND GUESS WHAT! I SAW A SEA LION! Yes, there was a sick sea lion in the ocean coming from towards the beach. I imagined him to be just like the ones I love at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Playful and sweet! So, you can imagine my surprise when a lifeguard asked me to back up. It was sick. Apparently they're not supposed to be that close to humans. My heart broke a little. It looked like it was just hanging out there riding the waves.

I kept walking-- seeing families, couples and little kids chasing seagulls. The kid was probably the cutest thing I've ever seen. The water was really cold, so anytime he got close, he'd run from it. I'm not sure where his parents were, but I thought to myself, "Wow, if I were to ever accidentally have kids, I would definitely want to live here." The water is too cold for the kid to jump in and drown. The sand is soft-- so if it falls it can't get hurt that badly, and I could just read books-- while the kid chases uncatchable creatures. Perfect. Don't get me wrong-- it didn't give me baby-fever--but it made me think that there likely are some tolerable moments with children.

Moving forward, Nicole and I walked out on the pier, and admired how beautiful it was! We stopped in at a bar on the deck called Harry's. It was dark-- and there was no outdoor seating, which Nicole noticed since we were at a beach, after all. I agreed, but liked the feel of the place. She commented that of course I would. After all, I do love places like the K-Lounge and Whistle Stop. This stop was important in the scheme of the trip, because after only minutes, an older gentleman walked over to tell us that he'd been watching us (for hours there, apparently), and thought Nicole was the most beautiful woman ever. It was awkward; of course I loved it-- and got a good laugh along with the bouncer at the door nearest to us. With that, we closed our tab, stopped in at a tattoo parlor to check on kangaroo tats, and then decided to hit the Pacific Coast Highway.

North or south was the question--and south was the answer. What we didn't know then was that the Pacific Coast Highway goes rogue for a while, and instead of picturesque views of the ocean, we go through miles and miles and miles and miles of California farmland. We loved it, don't get us wrong--but we decided it was time to have a chat with our GPS. So, knowing Nicole and I, and recognizing that we had crossed the line into Santa Barbara County, the only logical search was for wineries.

And so we started making our way toward Babcock Winery. Which is precisely where we met David. Or as I like to call him, the one who got away.

If you know me or Nicole, or especially if you know us collectively, you know that we enjoy meeting new people. However, we usually need to have sidebars about which people to pursue to cultivate stronger friendships. Unfortunately, this small tasting room left no space for us to discuss the potential friendship we both saw for our new friend. We don't really know his name, but we imagine it to be David. There were other noisy drunk guests that were also tasting wine, and I think it's fair to say that we bonded with David through our observations of that party. BTW, we LOVED their Identity Crisis . We even dedicated a toast to Erik Erikson! (Who said theory was good for nothing??)

Afterward, we waited creepily in our car, trying to decide if we should invite our potential new friend, David, to join us in the rest of our adventure. Oh right, who's David? The guy that poured our wine. He seemed awesome. After entirely too much time discussing this, and trying to decide what to say when we did see him, we decided against it. This may be our only regret from the entire summer. We have a rule-- and it's same as the one rule in Improv, which is never say no. I should add that both Nicole and I have been reading Chelsea Handler's books and I've recently started (and nearly finished) Hilary Winston's My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me and Other Stories That I Shouldn't Share with Acquaintances, Coworkers, Taxi Drivers, Assistants, Job Interviewers, Bikini Waxers, and Ex Current Future Boyfriends But Have. I want to be more like them-- (and I'm not sure if she knows it or not but) so does Nicole.

So, back to the Garmin. Let's enter Places of Interest. Near Here. Entertainment. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.

I look at Nicole and tell her we MUST! MUST! MUST go to the Whistle Stop! And her response is, of course we must! We agree it would be a crime NOT to go. And so we do. And oh wow.

On the way, we pass by what has to be the most celebrated Flower Show ever. I mean, there's a ferris wheel. We're talking a full-out carnival, people! We make a mental note that we should go there on our way back-- but for the time being, we're on a mission for a whistle. And this place doesn't disappoint. After several photos in front of the beloved place, we make our way inside.

We're the youngest people there by 20 years. While the place is about 4x the size of my Buckhannon Whistle Stop, it keeps the same feel. My friend Evan commented that there was too much natural light, which I can't really argue. There was. But they also had their own gem that I don't know that we could ever really get-- or even aspire to get. Unless, of course, I find myself alone in 40 years in Buckhannon. And that gem's name was Gene.

Gene knew a lot about nearly everything. I didn't realize it, but in the few minutes it took me to go to the ATM and back, she had quickly created a friendship with Nicole. When I returned, Nicole didn't share the details of the encounter-- we ordered our drinks, and then Gene turned back around to chat with both of us.

"You know, the education here in California is no good. If you want your kids to go to a good school, you gotta send them east."

"This jewelry? It's from Afghanistan. And you know what's happening over there" LONG PAUSE. Then, as if we didn't know, "WAR!"

The bartender actually looked at us and mouthed, "I'm so sorry," and we just smiled. It was fine, we said. The older gentlemen at the end of bar said, "She never shuts up." We finished our drinks, played the lottery, snuck some pictures, and then headed to the flower show. We ate lots of carnival food, and then, as if I could foresee the future, I bought some kettle corn. Which was PERFECT, as we made a pitstop at the Sunset Drive-In just in time to see Cars 2 and The Green Lantern.

Did you catch that this all happened within 24 hours? Trip 1 set the bar high. And so far the trips that followed have done a pretty good job at keeping that bar high. Click here for more pics.

What song would be playing for this part of my movie? I think this song would be ideal. Although, I feel like this could really describe almost any Pepin-Short adventure!

Pop Evil: 100 in a 55

2011-07-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Amy Fusselman wrote that after her dad died, she just wanted to say it. She wanted to hear it. She wanted to see it in writing. I was intrigued. I thought, why? But she’s right. I want to say it. Over and over and over again. I want to say, my mom is dead.

What would you like on your sandwich? Turkey, cheese and my mom is dead. I want to see that expression on their face. My mom is dead.

Officer: Do you know why I pulled you over?
Me: Yes, sir, I didn’t realize I was going so fast.
Officer: Have you been drinking?
Me: No, sir. (but I am speeding so that I can try to make it to Rite Aid before nine so that I can get drunk. No point in trying now.)
Officer: Drugs?
Me: No thanks.
Officer: No thanks? (Who the hell says no thanks?)
Me: Sorry, Officer, my mother just died… because of drugs. That’s why I’m home. I don’t touch the stuff.
Officer: I’m sorry to hear about your loss. Drugs are bad around here. Are you from around here?
Me: Yeah, I know. You’ll recognize my last name. You probably know most of them.
Officer: Who?
Me: Joey Short… Lorrie McCourt… Randy Short—but I’m nothing like them. I swear. (I want to tell you everything. I want to say everything, but I’m shaking and I can’t find the stupid insurance card. This isn’t even my car. shit.)
Officer: Yeah, I know them. Just keep looking for that insurance card, I’ll be right back.

Blue lights flash. I’m pretty sure he’s not going to give me a ticket. At least my mother’s death was good for something. At least it got me out of a speeding ticket. I do slow down. The car just runs so smooth. But it’s not my car. My car has a ‘heads up’. It tells me how fast I’m driving on my windshield. Not that it would have made a difference. I need Malibu rum, to mix with my Tropicana orange juice and my Donald Duck pineapple juice. Mmm.

The next day I drive my car. I drive my car because it’s familiar. I know I’m not supposed to; it’s not safe—but I’m not supposed to speed in my uncle’s car. And if I have a cocktail, I want to drive my car. I don’t plan on drinking and driving—at least not drinking more than one and driving, but I don’t feel comfortable drinking even one and driving their car. I don’t think they would care—but, besides my car needs gas.

I feel like my car is where I can think. I can think about my mom dying. I can think about my reaction when my aunt called after class. I can remember asking, “Is she going to die?”   I can remember the eerie silence, then the melancholy answer, “Liz, they just don’t know.”
When my aunt called she prefaced the fact that my mom might die with the question, Liz, I don’t have to tell you, but do you want to be updated about your mom?

I wasted time—I packed some clothes for a few days. I found my fish a babysitter. MY FISH A BABYSITTER. I went back and forth over what the implications of me going would be. If I go, and she lives, then is she going to think that we’re okay? If I don’t go, and she dies, what kind of daughter does that make me? Would I be sad that I didn’t get to see her. My cousin Becky asks, if you go, will it be because you care, or because of guilt?

My response: What, involving my parents in the last 11 years, have I done that hasn’t involved guilt?   So, I go.

When I get there, she’s laying in the bed; the doctor says she’s heavily sedated. My aunt puts on gloves, as she holds her hands that have the pink nail polish on them. She rubs her feet, and wonders why they don’t have socks on her. She tells me that her feel are so cold. She says things like, Lorrie, Liz is here. Liz came to see you. We love you, Lorrie. We love you, Lorrie. We love you, Lorrie. We love you, Lorrie. Be strong. Lorrie, you have to be strong. Liz, you can talk to her. She can hear you. We love you, Lorrie.

When the doctor comes in, she asks questions. My aunt doesn’t live near her. She gets cards in the mail from my mom every now and then. My mom calls her every now and then. I don’t talk to my mom. I told her she couldn't come to my graduation. I haven't accepted her calls, or responded to her letters for a month. I suspect she’s addicted to Valium. I know she has heart problems. I know she smokes cigarettes. My aunt tells the doctor that she heard that Lorrie, my mom, my mom that is dead, has been trying to wing herself off drugs. I think to myself that it sounds to me like my aunt is living in the same fantasy world as my mom. My mom has been doing heavy drugs since I was eight years old. What, in the last two weeks, would have made her change? I say, she’s a dope head. I say, she’s a druggie. I say that I doubt she’s changed. I say that the last hospital she was at is an incompetent group of idiots, and that they’d better check for everything.   I say nothing to my mom. I don’t touch her. I leave and let another aunt come in, because there can only be two visitors at a time.

My mom codes. My mom is temporarily dead. They bring her back. They, the doctors, the doctors that are trying to save Lorrie, my mom, my mom that is dead, say they are going paralyze her. They, the doctors, are going to let the machines run her for a few days, so she, my mom, my mom that is dead, can build her strength back up. My dad comes, and my aunts say I can take him back. He hugs me. My Aunt Francine, the aunt that raised me, took care of me, bought me the things that I needed, went to court for me, loved me, loves me, and still maintained respect from my mother, told me to be careful. You just don’t know, Liz.

She had IV medicine for the drug addiction; IV for the MRSA; IV for the Sepsis; IV for the pneumonia. She had a tube down her throat to breath, a tube in her chest to reinflate her lung; a tube down her throat into her stomach to suction out the green and black vile that was in her stomach; a catheter for her urine. She was helpless. Her hair was in a high ponytail. Her head looked bruised from when she passed out in the bathroom and busted her face. Her face was peaceful, but her chest looked like she was still working so hard for every breath. My dad tells me that she doesn’t care if she lives or not. She doesn’t care. Her son is in jail; her daughter hates her. She doesn’t care. She doesn’t care. She’s shooting up again.

I leave. If she’s going to be paralyzed for a couple days, what’s the point in staying? My Aunt Francine and I go to Wal-Mart. We get snacks for the hospital; Ritz crackers, cheese, and off-brand pop tarts because I like the crust. We buy toothbrushes, Crest ProHealth, Dove powder and Secret deodorant. We buy scrubs for my aunts to sleep in, and we look in the beer section for Bud Ice. We decide we’re going to need to stop at Sheetz.

I stop by my best friend’s boyfriend’s to pick my best friend’s key to her apartment. She’s letting us stay there. I tell her what’s happened. She tells me she’s there for me. I leave her boyfriend’s house to go back to the hospital, and on the way, we get a call.

My mom is dead.

I’m in my car. I feel the seat under me; my legs are attached to my ass that is attached to my seat. My legs extend down and the ball of my foot connects to the floor of my car. It never moves; it pivots. It allows me to hit the gas, or move to the brake. My arms are attached to my shoulders that is attached to my torso that is attached to my ass that is attached to my seat that extends to my legs to my feet to the accelerator and the brake. My hands don’t shake when they’re on the steering wheel that is protected by a black fuzzy steering wheel cover. My mind is thinking that my mom is dead; the roads are bad. Not bad like icy. No, it is a beautiful Spring night. It’s the day after St. Patrick’s day. Every year, from here on, I will have a hangover, and I can somberly remember, this is the day that my mom died. But these roads are terrible. It’s bad in that Morgantown doesn’t take care of their roads, and there are potholes the size of couches; couches that are burned in Morgantown; couches that my mom caught on fire with sparklers and cigarettes.

I go home to Webster the next day; a place I decided to avoid this semester because I wanted to enjoy my last semester. A place I didn’t even stop at on my way South for spring break. I knew the curves of the road. I knew the speed in which I could safely slide through. Though the 16 miles of Birch River, I cried, regained control of my emotions, sped, drove slow, listened to music, lost control again. I felt guilty, angry, sad, upset. I kept saying, my mom is dead.

I wanted to send a mass text message. I wanted to get on facebook and write, Ding Dong, my mom is dead. The mom that put me in pageants. The mom that fought to get the last Dear Diary for me at Wal Mart. The mom that, even when I loathed her, loved me. The mom I made cry. The mom that made me cry. The mom who always threw me a birthday party, and made sure my friends and family were there. The mom who chose drugs over me. The mom who took me to my first Billy Ray Cyrus concert. My mom who made me pancakes that were crunchy and my brother French toast on Saturday mornings. My mom who took us camping, swimming, four-wheeler riding. My mom that got high, and told me that my brother was an accident. My mom who warned us about telling the teachers that they smoked, sold and grew pot. The mom who took me to the doctor. The mom who embarrassed me at my high school football game. The mom who took us to the fair. The mom who believed in Jesus, as the savior. The mom that wrote in 2006 that she wasn’t afraid to die. The one that thought she had a full life at the age of 45. That mom was dead. My mom is dead.

My brain in my head that thinks all of this, all the time, is connected to my neck, that is connected to my shoulders that is also connected my arms that are connected to my hands that are connected to the steering wheel that allows me to pick my destination, when accompanied by the accelerator that my right foot controls that is connected to my leg that extends to my ass that rests on the seat where my upper body including my torso, shoulders, arms and head. I am one with the road, as I battle with this. I thought I wanted her to be dead; I don’t think I was prepared for her to die.

My mom is dead.

*I wrote this shortly after my mom died. April 2009

Turn back on the broken heartache
Some things are just meant to be
I still believe that we got a chance
Still believe that we got a chance to be
Too much is never enough and
Too little is never enough
Full speed got me looking out my rear view
I can’t go back

Goin’ 100 in a 55 and I don’t know why I’m still alive but I
Do what I can but I know I can’t take anymore
I still believe in this rock and roll
And I pray the music gonna save my soul
But till then I still believe some things are just meant to be

It's messed up but I got this mission
Drunk again wont remember anyway
She said it’s just a game boy
Don’t be gone don’t be gone for long
Ten years I’ve been doing this forever
Its all I know baby please don’t turn away
I know you don’t believe in me
But I do believe in you

Goin’ 100 in a 55 and I don’t know why I’m still alive but I
Do what I can but I know I can’t take anymore
I still believe in this rock and roll
And I pray the music gonna save my soul
But till then I still believe some things are just meant to be

I’m still falling
Away from here
Away from here
I’m still falling
The wings are falling off
I can’t go back
I’m in too deep

Goin’ 100 in a 55 and I don’t know why I’m still alive but I
Do what I can but I know I can’t take anymore
I still believe in this rock and roll
And I pray the music gonna save my soul
But till then I still believe some things are just meant to be

Goin’ 100 in a 55 and I don’t know why I’m still alive but I
Do what I can but I know I can’t take anymore
I still believe in this rock and roll
And I pray the music gonna save my soul
But till then I still believe some things are just meant to be

I still believe
Some things are just meant to be

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/p/pop_evil/#share

One year today...

2010-10-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, I woke up at 5 am, turned on my phone, checked my voicemail, and discovered I was officially an orphan. As I think about it today, I realize that it wasn't just the loss of my dad that devastated me, but the feeling that I suddenly lost both of my parents all over again. While the last several years of their life, I wasn't super close, and in fact, hadn't lived with them since I was 11, I still miss them--- and it's still really hard.

So, on the anniversary of their deaths (March 18 & October 5), I try to think about some of the more positive experiences that I had with my parents.

- When I was a small child, people would ask where I got my dark eyes, and I said that my dad bought them for me.

- My mom bought me and two friends matching outfits, and let us use her stereo and back porch to create a dance to "My Boyfriends Back." She encouraged us to practice our dance; we won 1st place in our age group in grade school; we won 3rd place in the older age group-- and then we practiced all summer and got 2nd place in the "big" talent show at the Cherry River Festival. We were in 2nd grade. And we were awesome.

- My dad always took my side. I remember my mom put food on my plate one day, and I refused to eat with because some food touched the other-- and my mom said, "it all goes to the same place," and I replied, "But I don't have taste buds there." My dad laughed, didn't make me eat it, and said, "She's got a point, Lorrie."

- My dad would let me read to him all the time. I loved opening mail, and reading to him. He would tell me how proud he was of me, and encouraged me to do well in school.

- My dad bought my brother a gun once, and then got another just like it that he planned to trade. When I saw it, I was ecstatic, because he bought it for me (even though I NEVER played with guns). I was like 5 years old. He didn't have the heart to trade it, and instead kept it until I was older and asked me if it was okay for him to give away.

- When my dad's parental rights were terminated, my mom let him come visit my brother and I; I was really upset about this-- and she ended up losing her rights over it, but looking back, while I still don't agree with what she did, I understand that she really loved my dad and brother-- and really wanted to go back to the happy family that once was.

- I ask myself a lot of questions about things I could have done differently-- but none of it really matters now. I've learned just to always try to be as nice as you can to people; even those that drive you crazy... and cherish those who care for you, even if you think you don't care about them. Guilt is a terrible weight to carry-- and can be suffocating...

So, for today's song:

When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,

speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,
there will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,
there will be an answer. let it be.
Let it be, let it be, ...
And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light, that shines on me,
shine until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....

~~The Beatles

Kid Rock's All Summer Long: I'm Gonna Give My Son Your Car

2010-07-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

There are certainly differences between growing up in rural West Virginia, and currently living in Pittsburgh. One benefit to living in Camden-On-Gauley, West Virginia is plenty of parking. When I lived with my parents in Camden, we had a huge front yard.... And a lot of that area was graveled so that there was a ton of places to park. That was beneficial, seeing as how there were always a ton of people coming and going from our house, buying drugs.

When people did come to buy drugs, they often ran in to other buddies or friends. It was like having every night being a high school party-- and my parents were the cool successful dealers whose house was always the center of the party. One day, one man, we'll call him "Gilbert" happened to run into a friend, left with the friend, and left his car in our driveway.

Typically, this wouldn't be a problem. However, this man had parked in front of our garage. We didn't really ever keep cars in there, but we'd keep our four-wheelers, and when my dad and his friends would illegally kill deer in the summer, that's where they would hang and gut them. Also, I don't think my dad was crazy about Gilbert... otherwise, the ending may have been a bit different.

After a night of Gilbert's car sitting in front of our garage, my dad called him and told him he needed to come get his car. Gilbert, according to my dad, was all, "yeah, yeah, sure Randy, I'll be over to get it later today."

He never came. The next day, my dad called and told him again-- adding this time that if he didn't come get his car, my dad would give the car to my brother.

My dad gave Gilbert another day.

The next day, the man called our house, and I answered the phone. All of dad's friends knew me.

"Hey, Lizabeth," he said, "Where's your dad?"

"He's outside," I replied.

"Is he busy?" he asked.

"Hold on," I replied, as I set the phone down. I ran outside, yelled and asked my dad if he wanted to talk to him. My dad said no, and to tell him that he warned him.

I picked the phone back up. "Um, he's outside cutting the top off your car."

"What?" he asks with a nervous laugh. "Really Liz, where is he?"

"He's outside cutting the top off your car. He's going to give to Joey."

"Oh, shit."

Outside my dad had the blowtorch fired up--cutting around the windows. The old car had been transformed into a topless old car. My dad then pulled the wires out from under the dash, and pretty soon, the car was on. (Btw, how does one learn to hotwire a car?)

When Gilbert finally did show up, my brother was driving the car around the yard, and all the druggies were standing in the driveway laughing at the eight-year-old driving around the yard. My grandmother was standing at her back door, shouting at my dad, as my brother narrowly missed her home. His head was barely over the steering wheel, and all you could see was his giant smile.

Gilbert almost started to cry, and my dad just put his giant hand on the his shoulder, and said, "I told you I was going to give it to my son."

It was 1989 my thoughts were short my hair was long
Caught somewhere between a boy and man,
She was 17 and she was far from in-between
It was summer-time in Northern Michigan

Splashing through the sand-bar, talking by the camp fire,
It's the simple things in life like when and where
We didn't have no internet but man I never will forget
The way the moon light shined upon her hair

And, we were trying different things we were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whisky out the bottle not thinking bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

Catching walleye from the dock watching the waves roll off the rocks
She'll forever hold a spot inside my soul
We blister in the sun we couldn't wait for night to come
To hit that saving place of rock and roll

While, we were trying different things we were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whisky out the bottle not thinking bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

Now nothing seems as strange as when the leaves begin to change
Or how we thought those days would never end
Sometimes I hear that song and I start to sing along
And think, Man I'd love to see that girl again

And, we were trying different things we were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whisky out the bottle not thinking bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

We were trying different things we were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whisky out the bottle not thinking bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight

2010-06-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

The day started out strange enough. Though I can't remember the specifics, what I do remember is my dad spending the day with my brother and me. Dad often stayed at home, and let my mom do all the grocery shopping, taking us to the doctor, etc. We had a pretty stereotypical set-up when it came to raising children, which is why my dad taking us out was such a big deal.

I remember he took us to Summersville, where we ate at McDonalds. Afterwards, we got ice cream from Dairy Queen, and he took us to Summersville Lake. I can't remember what we talked about or even what we did. I just remember feeling so happy that my dad was spending time with us. My dad was always my favorite, and I'd like to think I was always his. I couldn't wait to get home, though, and tell my mom what a wonderful day I'd had.

However, when we got home, my mom was not there. I went to my grandmother's to find her, but my grandmother said she had borrowed the car to pick us up. I knew my mom knew we were with my dad, and even then, at only around nine years old, I knew this was bad news. I started calling all of my aunts and uncles asking if they had seen my mother. My dad didn't seem concerned.

I remember I was frantically worried about where she was, demanding to my father that we find her, while he smoked pot in the living room of our home with his friends. He told me not to worry, be quiet, and go to my room. Despite my dad's size (350+ lb), and generally scary appearance, he didn't scare me, and I wouldn't let this go.

Again, at nine years old, my dad said to me, "Liz, your mom cheats on me. She's probably with another guy right now."

I was devastated. I screamed at him that he was lying. She was probably hurt--in a car accident-- maybe she was in a hospital. She would never do something like that to him. She couldn't do that to us.

He responded with specific examples, "Liz, I walked in on her on the couch with Ronnie, kissing him. She said she got lost."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. I just became more hysterical. I knew my mom couldn't do this. She was my mom. She wasn't capable of doing those things. They were my parents; they were still perfect. I couldn't understand...

He said, "Liz, she's probably at a bar with another guy. You need to just go get ready for school."

After enough crying and fighting, my dad decided to prove it.

I got my brother, and we climbed into the truck. I was still convinced that she had been in some kind of accident. Driving from Camden to Craigsville, I watched over the hill looking for tire tracks. We drove towards Richwood, and as my dad turned into a bar to turn around, our headlights shined into the windshield of my grandmother's car, where my mom was engaged in a deep kiss with a man who often bought drugs from my father.

My dad was infuriated. He jumped out of the truck, and punched through the passenger side window where the man was. He started cursing, trying to fight the man, and then crying asking my mom why. My mom was drunk. The man ran out of the vehicle, and over a hill into the woods. I stood, staring and crying. My brother, only seven, was crying and punched the gutter. My dad actually dented the gutter with his fist. He kept asking my mom why? Why, Lorrie, why?

She pulled out of the parking lot, while my dad screamed something like, "Yeah, go get your fucking boyfriend."

I thought my dad would kill that man, and I felt so guilty for calling my dad a liar. I kept saying I'm sorry. I remember looking at the speedometer and seeing the needle race past the 100 mph mark, and to the 110. The song Just Died in Your Arms tonight was on the radio was on. It was years before I could hear that song without feeling like I was going to vomit.

That night, my dad took my brother and I back to my grandmother's house. She put us in the back bedroom, and told us to go to sleep. Even then, despite having the exact same experience, we were unable to comfort each other. I remember saying, "I love you, Joey" and he replied, "I love you, too, sissy." I don't think either of us slept that night--and knowing that we loved each other didn't make anything better.

My mom called and I talked to her. I can't remember why I wasn't mad. I think it's because I was so scared. She told me that she was in a safe place, and that she would talk to me soon. She said that my dad just needed to calm down.

It was shortly after that when my mom checked herself into rehab for the first time. It was the next day that my teacher, Mrs. Leslie, hugged me during a bathroom break, and said, "I heard you had a rough night, Sweetie. It will get better."

I hope she knows how much that meant.

Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight

I keep looking for something I can't get
Broken hearts, they're all around me
And I don't see an easier way, to get out of this
Her diary sits by the bedside table
The curtains are closed, the cat's in the cradle
Who would have thought that a boy like me could come to this

Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been some kind of kiss
I should have walked away
I should have walked away

Is there any just cause for feeling like this?
On the surface I'm a name on a list
I try to be discreet, but then blow it again
I've lost and found it's my final mistake
She's loving by proxy, no give and all take
'Cause I've been thrilled to fantasy, one too many times

Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been some kind of kiss
I should have walked away
I should have walked away

It was a long hot night, she made it easy
She made it feel right
But now it's over, the moment has gone
I followed my hands to my head, I know I was wrong

Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been some kind of kiss
I should have walked away
I should have walked away

Queen: Bicycle Race

2010-06-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

My brother, Joe, and I always had an intense sibling rivalry, but at age nine nothing got under my skin like him daring me to race him on a bicycle. He had dared me in front of Ricky and Scotty, our neighbors, to race him down a hill behind our house, making me look like a chicken. I told him simply that I couldn’t race him because it wasn’t fair. He had been practicing, and I hadn’t had a chance. I told him that of course, I wasn’t scared. Tomorrow, I said, tomorrow, we would race, and I would show him.

That evening he went with the neighbors to baseball practice, as he did every evening, giving me two solid hours to conquer that hill on my pink princess bike. I told myself that I would make it down that hill, and become so confident that I would blow him away the following day.

The hill in question was just to the right of my house. My dad had a logging business, and we had 16 acres of mountainous land. Of course, as soon as we moved, my dad logged behind our house, giving my brother and I several trails to walk, play or ride one of our many recreational vehicles—and not to mention practically paying for itself. Living in the heart of West Virginia, it was only appropriate that most of the roads and trails were both steep and curvy. The path my brother wanted to race down was no different.

In my first run, I didn’t go to the point where my brother and I would start our race. I knew better. I didn’t even go half way. I went about a quarter of the way up, then rode to the bottom, holding my brakes all the way down.

My second time, I decided to do the same distance, only a little easier on the brakes. Going about a quarter up the path again, I release the brakes, and rode freely down the hill. The wind was in my face, and the crisp spring air gave me hope that I could conquer this mountain.

I then got ambitious. This was not going to be nearly as horrid as I had originally thought. I could go all the way to the top of this hill. My brother was going to eat his words. Ricky and Scotty were going to see that this was something that I could finally be as good—if not better than my filthy brother. As I walked my bike to the top of the hill, I could hear victory in my mind. It would be the proudest moment of my life: the moment I was better than Joey in something that wasn’t academic.

..........................................................................................................................................

At this point in my dad’s career, things weren’t exactly how one might imagine a logging business. He was successful. He employed five guys, and owned several pieces of heavy machinery. Sometimes, in between logging jobs, he would bring home bulldozers or skidders and let us play on them—or put me, Joey, Rick and Scott in the bucket and drive us around the yard.

Life was good—so good that it allowed him to pick up a second business on the side. The second business was that of a drug dealer. This was the business my dad was looking to expand. He decided that the best way to do it was to begin growing our own marijuana plants at home.

My dad is the kind of person that always has people that owe him a favor. So, when he asked a friend to get him some fertilizer, the friend delivered.

When one is growing pot, there are certain appearances that one should uphold. In other words, we had to start a garden. That’s what we told people when they asked what the big pile of shit was doing in our yard, anyways. That’s right, an entire dump truck full of cow manure and compost had planted itself in our yard just down from the hill where my brother and I would be racing.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

I stood straddled over my pink princess bike, knowing that this ride was going to be the one that changed my life. I didn’t even need to do it—it was only going to boost my confidence. I put my feet on the pedals, and prepared for the ride of my life…

The bike started moving too fast. Before I knew it, I felt like I was going faster than most cars go. I kept slamming my feet backwards, beginning to panic. My brakes weren’t working. The further I went, the faster the bike would go. I knew that I was going to wreck, and didn’t know how long it would take for someone to find me. I knew in my nine-year-old mind, this was going to be how I died. People would blame Joey for my death. Had he not dared me to race him down that hill, I would have never practiced, and my brakes would not have went out, and I would not have crashed into a tree—or the driveway of gravels, and died.

As I got to the bottom of the hill, I saw my salvation. I couldn’t get my brakes to work, and if going down a hill would make me go faster, then going up a hill, might bring me go a stop.

The pile of manure looked ten feet tall. My bike raced forward, and I thought if I slowed down enough, I could just lean it over on top and walk down the mountain of shit. This entire time, though, my feet were planted firmly back in the brake position.

I made it down the hill, and started up the heap. I wasn’t slowing down as I thought I would be. Perhaps after making it up this small hill, I would still die. I feared that if my bike didn’t slow down, I would only pick up momentum going down the other side.

Miraculously, on top of the hill, my brakes started working again. This blessing led to an unfortunate series of events. Having my feet in a rigor mortis state in a backwards position didn’t allow for a slow and subtle slowing. Instead, it allowed me to flip over the handlebars of my pretty pink princess bike, landing face first, full body in the swell of shit.

I never raced my brother.

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

You say black I say white
You say bark I say bite
You say shark I say hey man
Jaws was never my scene
And I don't like Star Wars
You say Rolls I say Royce
You say God give me a choice
You say Lord I say Christ
I don't believe in Peter Pan
Frankenstein or Superman
All I wanna do is

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my

Bicycle races are coming your way
So forget all your duties oh yeah
Fat bottomed girls they'll be riding today
So look out for those beauties oh yeah
On your marks get set go
Bicycle race bicycle race bicycle race

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
Bicycle race

You say coke I say caine
You say John I say Wayne
Hot dog I say cool it man
I don't wanna be the President of America
You say smile I say cheese
Cartier I say please
Income tax I say Jesus
I don't wanna be a candidate for
Vietnam or Watergate
Cause all I wanna do is

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

Memorial Day: This Afternoon

2010-05-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

My brother has attempted to call me about six times this weekend. For those of you who don't know me, my brother was arrested sometime last fall for a plethora of charges. I have to admit that I do value family, but I think I value friendship more. The combination of the two makes it a special kind of bond-- and I'm thankful for my family that I also consider friends. However, I don't think that just being family should entitle you to anything more, and the fact of the matter is that my brother and I hadn't really talked in several years until our parents passed away. He's looking for someone to lean on, and I don't want to be that person.

I understand that "I'm all he has left," but I also know that we haven't built a relationship of trust. When I was 15, and he was 13/14, he moved out and we've never lived together--or really talked since. He blamed me for my family's problems--mainly because he didn't see the lifestyle of drug dealing and drug doing as a problem. He steals, he lies, and he cheats-- and I don't want someone like that in my life. And besides, I have to pay like three bucks to talk to him for 15 minutes. Why would I pay to awkwardly try to fill 15 minutes of time?

He's burned a lot of bridges, and I know that very few people have accepted his calls-- and I do feel incredibly guilty for not accepting them-- but it tears me apart. And I don't want to feel that.

And on Memorial Day, I don't want to focus on the bad. I want to remember good times-- summer times, and when things were good with my parents and brother. And for period, I think of Nickelback's This Afternoon.

There was one summer when my dad's logging business was doing extremely well. Additionally, his 'side business' of dealing drugs was also going well. There were always people at our house, and kids for my brother and I to play with. I had friends named Felicia and Dawn, and we spent days at each other's houses-- riding bikes, making up dances, playing in the woods, etc. My brother spent most of his time playing with the neighbor boys. Their parents considered him one of their own. They signed him up for baseball, took him to practice, and sending him home was the worst possible punishment was to send him home.

That summer, my dad had told us about these caves up on the Ridge, and I became completely obsessed with seeing them. He promised me that he would take me before the end of the summer, and as school inched closer, I thought he was going to forget... and I wasn't about to let that happen. With our living room full of people, passing around a joint, I marched in, and asked my dad when we were going. He laughed that wonderful laugh, and said, "later, sis"

Later was unacceptable. Despite being about 9 or 10 years old, and really knowing better, I decided to take action. I told everyone to leave, and started throwing a tantrum that would embarrass even the most shameless person. My dad, even though pissed, could never really be mad AT me, told me to go get my brother, and told my mom to pack a lunch. My mom hated that I always got what I wanted from my dad, but what can I say? I was the favorite.

We took our two ATV's, my mom and brother on one, and my dad and I on the other, and headed up the road. I remember on the way there, we had to make a pit stop because my dad lost a bag of pot. If you think Where's Waldo is hard, you should try finding a bag of green pot in a heavily wooded area. I was still pouting because this was delaying my trip, but I kicked around some leaves, and tried to help. My brother, of course, would be the hero that found it, and promptly put us back on track to finding the caves.

I've learned now that my parents, and more specifically my mom, made up a lot of crap that wasn't true and told us. I would be mad, but looking back, it was really funny. I hope that if I ever accidentally have kids, I can think of fun lies to tell them, too. On this particular day, my mom told me that the drawings on the side of the walls in the caves were done by Native Americans "many many moons ago." She and my dad then sent us into the cave to try to figure out what it said.

Now, I can't disprove what she said, but I believe it was probably something that she and her stoner friends probably drew when they were in high school--if there was really anything in there at all. My brother and I got our flashlights out, and started crawling back through the caves. As soon as I could no longer see the entrance, I started to cry and want out... I think I remember my parents being a little mad, but I also realize what a brat I was being. I had thrown a fit to go, then didn't go into the caves, and complained when my brother took too long to explore.

We spent the rest of the day together, driving around on fourwheelers, and enjoying a beautiful summer day in the mountains of WV. This is probably one of my favorite memories-- and when driving around in mountains and smelling the scent of woods makes me think of it... While there were a lot of drugs that summer, I was safe, my parents weren't fighting, and there were always fun things to do... It really was a summer full of them partying, selling and doing drugs, while my brother and I did pretty much whatever we wanted. No rules, no worries, and enjoying the afternoon.

Lookin' like another Bob Marley day
Hittin' from the bong like a diesel train
And I'm down with hangin' out this afternoon

We've got weeds in the backyard 4 feet tall
Cheech and Chong prob'ly woulda' smoked 'em all
So I'm out on the couch this afternoon

Beer bottles layin' on the kitchen floor
If we take 'em all back we can buy some more
So I doubt we'll go without this afternoon

You better hang on if you're taggin' along
Cause we'll be doin this 'till 6 in the mornin'
Nothin' wrong with goin' all night long
Tough to put the brakes on,
Doesn't matter when you'd rather

Get up, and go out
Me and all my friends
We drink up, We fall down
And then we do it all again
Just sittin around, hangin out this afternoon

Landlord said I should buy a tent
But he can kiss my ass cause I payed the rent
So I doubt he'll kick me out this afternoon

Down on the corner in a seedy bar
Juke box crankin' out the CCR
Had a few to Suzy Q this afternoon

Don't wanna wristwatch or an alarm clock
To see what time it is
From the moment I wake up
I just love being with my friends
We barely get by, but have the best times
And hope it never ends
We drink all day till we fall down
So we can do it all again

It's not the human walk
It's the human race
If you aint livin on the edge
You're takin' too much space
So I doubt I'll figure out
Just what to do
'Bout to kick it around
Hangin out this afternoon

Get up, and go out
Me and all my friends
We drink up, we fall down
And then we do it all again

Just kickin' around, hangin out this afternoon
Sittin around hangin out this afternoon
Just kickin' around, hangin out this afternoon
Just sittin around hangin out this afternoon
Just kickin' around, hangin out this afternoon
Just sittin around hangin out this afternoon

Soundtrack of my Life...

2010-05-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

My friend, Emmy, has inspired me to start blogging again... And, I think I'm going to change my focus to Soundtrack of my Life. I've always wondered, if there was a movie made about me, what songs would be on the soundtrack?

So, I'm giving myself a little assignment to pick songs, and why I would want them to be in the soundtrack of my life, what period they stood for-- or what I'll hope they'll be. Now, don't judge the music. I know, I know, I have terrible taste. But I like it.

A lot has happened to me in my life; I wrecked a car when I was three or four into our landlord's house; my parents started their own business, then got heavily into drug dealing; I testified against them in court; I was placed in foster care; I got an amazing scholarship to go to an amazing school; I went to England and Australia; I was student body president and General Manager for the radio station; my senior year, my mom passed away ; I graduated, moved to Pittsburgh for a wonderful job, and less than seven months later--and 20 days before my 23rd birthday, my dad died in a house fire .

Since then, my brother's been arrested, I was accepted to grad school, was offered an amazing assistantship, and am now planning to move again. I sometimes feel like the luckiest girl to have all these opportunities, and other times, it's overwhelmingly depressing to think of all the terrible things that have happened. They say that writing is great therapy, and my best friend's mom, who is like a mom to me, insists that I can help people with my story. I don't know if that's true, but here it goes.

Opening credits: MGMT's Time to Pretend

I found this song with Pandora. I imagine a flashback-- starting where the story ends and going backwards-- and moving back toward the start... moving from cities to towns, and through my various ages... with highlights...

I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life.
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.

Forget about our mothers and our friends
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend

I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms
I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone.

There's really nothing, nothing we can do
Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew.
The models will have children, we'll get a divorce
We'll find some more models, everything must run it's course.

We'll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
We were fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Why 2009 blows.

2009-12-05T21:23:00.000-08:00

So, generally, I try to keep my online self a pretty upbeat person. I don't think the web is necessarily where I would like to air all my grievances. But sometimes, like now, when things build up-- and all the people that you usually turn to are probably sick and tired of hearing from you, I believe there is no other choice than to go where everyone can see (but no one probably cares to see) everything.

Tonight-- December 5, 2009, my car's (well, technically my uncle's car, since my piece of shit GM caught on fire in like Feb or March) brake lines busted while in the neighborhood of East Liberty of Pittsburgh. If you aren't familiar, google it-- I dare you. So, not only did my brakes go out-- but they are so bad that I'm going to have to be towed--LESS THAN A MILE to a garage to get them fixed. Awesome.

Now, granted, if this was the worst thing to happen to me all year, I would be like, "You know, this sucks... but shit happens..." BUT it's not. In fact, as my friend, Julie put it, "At least it's not the worst thing that's happened to you."

No, it's not. The year started awesomely enough. On January 1 last year- the year I was actually 22, and was old enough to be CRAZY for New Years, I was sick. I sat on a couch and watched the ball drop-- or maybe even went to bed early-- who knows...

And then, in February, I was worried about the economy-- so I took the GRE and the GMAT- and then only applied to like one or two grad schools-- that I didn't even go or really even finish applying... Also in February, I got into a huge argument with my Mom and told her I didn't want her to come to my graduation. I then gave her the silent treatment-- not calling or answering the phone. Ignoring the letters she wrote. You know-- generally being a bitch.

So, no surprize that in March she died w/ complication from pneumonia. FML.

My dad didn't take it very well. Instead of being there for him, I locked myself in a house and just felt sorry for myself for a while... Which was awesome, b/c in October, only six months after moving to Pittsburgh, and seeing him once between the two dates,, he died in a house fire....

With two huge tragic events, you would think that all of these little things wouldn't matter--- but they do... and it sucks. My Pontiac caught on fire in March.... My college roommate and I stopped speaking in April... I graduated and left the only town that's ever felt like home in May... I was rear ended in my uncle's car later in October... My fish died the first week in December... My family hates that I'm in Pittsburgh-- and aren't afraid to let me know it...

And the thing is, I know I'm really lucky. I have wonderful friends who are amazing. I have a wonderful job with wonderful people that I really enjoy. I have a family, that, while doesn't always agree with my decisions, are always willing to help in their special ways...

But I can't help but feel overwhelmed... 2009 has been a horrible year... and I can't wait until it's finally over....

On a side note-- does anyone know of any good garages/towing services in Pittsburgh?

GRRRR General Motors

2009-07-30T17:57:00.001-07:00

My car was one that caught on fire under the recall (Pontiac Grand Prix). I had to talk to two different agents, send it all the information, pictures, title... and then wait. After a month, I called to check, and it's protected under bankruptcy.

Businesses without ethics, adaptability, and accountability should fall victim to the market. I just graduated from college, and have my first job. I'm starting to pay back student loans, paying for my own rent, and all the bills that come with. I have had to borrow a car for the last 4 months. I worked through college to pay off my car-- and now it looks like I'm going to have to start from scratch and try to squeeze in a new car payment, as well.

This poor service from GM makes me certain that my next car will NOT be a GM. I hear that Honda has great warranties, and customer service.

Internship Jackpot!

2009-01-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't know, I've been looking for an internship for sometime... Not really going out and digging, but reading the paper, and checking online for something that would give me a lot of different experience. I'm interested in a variety of things, and am not sure what I want to do after graduation in May. Last semester I did a ton of project and event planning and management. I planned a birthday party for an institution, held an alumni event and also was part of a team that planned a Debate Watch for the second presidential debate.

My advisor, and personal hero, Dr. Kay Long, gave me a couple of leads where she thought I might find myself some different types of internships. I had it narrowed to marketing, crisis communication, and anything else. Ha! So then, I did what the typical me does. I emailed all of those contacts and went with who emailed me first. Luckily, I can't imagine a better internship.

Steve Foster of the Upshur County Development Authority had a 'small' project that could use an intern or two. Apparently, last semester another intern, and friend of mine did some asset mapping of the area. She found that over 30 local artisans were featured in Tamarack, West Virginia's most prestigious art gallery. The opportunity that we have here is that some space has become available to open our very out artisan co-op on Main Street Buckhannon.
AXIS 2411 Video Serve
The internship includes everything from creating by-laws, to developing a website concept and PR plan to designing the layout for the studio. Steve says it is about as close as you can come to starting your own business as you can without actually starting one. Again, I have been blessed that I will have help of another intern and a great friend, Jaclyn Randolph. Our professor, Dr. Kevin Lee, has also been proactive in helping with the brainstorming sessions. He suggested a weekend roadtrip visiting different artistic towns that have similar co-ops. Currently, the only one that I am familiar with is Poplar Forest that had been located in the Flatwoods Mall. This co-op did not work-- but there is thought to be many reasons they didn't, and Steve has throroughly researched why it will work in our town... and I totally agree!

I think that this has huge promise in this town. First, this town seems like one you would see on a television show. It is more than a small college town. It is a town that is continually looking to improve the town, economy and quality of life. While West Virginia has this reputation, and seems to be experiencing what Governor Manchin describes as the 'brain drain,' where our young and brightest are leaving the state, many students are finding jobs here in this community.

I will continually update how the work is going. I think this is going to be both a fun and rewarding experience.

Final BBC analysis! :)

2008-12-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

The British Broadcasting Company, or BBC is an interesting organization that had a unique perspective on the 2008 United States presidential election. Unlike many of the other news media outlets, the BBC seemed fair and balanced, almost to the point of laziness. In a country where news is told, then analyzed then used as premise to make predictions, having news told without the extra fluff seemed unnatural. To understand exactly the way in which the BBC provides unbiased news, one must understand the history of the corporation, its perspective on the United States and our government, and how that influences the issues the reporters cover.

History of the BBC

The BBC was started with four men in 1922 reading bulletins nightly, so as to not deter the sale of newspapers (BBC, 2008). It has since gained a broader audience and vehicles for communication as the largest news broadcasting company in the world (Sambrook, 2008). Understanding that currently not only the British go to them for news, they have adopted a broader worldview. Their news now must be newsworthy for the world, or presented in a manner that allows audiences to get the news that is most salient to them. Deputy Director of News, Mark Damazer (2008), says, “There is no one universal news agenda that applies to all. That is why we broadcast in many different styles and why a story given prominence in the UK may not even be mentioned by our international channels.”

Organizations that have a worldwide audience must have strong moral and guiding principles. However, one learns that values differ throughout the world. For example, Americans value choice and freedom; Australians also value the same but in a different way. For example, Australians must vote, and it is considered rude to ask to have your hamburger without tomato. In America, of course, it is your choice whether or not you vote, and it is the American way to have your burger ‘any way you want.’ The BBC recognizes this, and has worked to satisfy the needs and wants of those and many other cultures throughout the globe.

The BBC has a mission, vision and then list of values that guide the organization. The mission of the BBC is a simple one: to enrich people’s lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain (BBC, 2008). Further, their vision is “to be the most creative organization in the world” (BBC, 2008). Finally, their values are listed below:

· Trust is the foundation of the BBC: we are independent, impartial and honest.

· Audiences are at the heart of everything we do.

· We take pride in delivering quality and value for money.

· Creativity is the lifeblood of our organization.

· We respect each other and celebrate our diversity so that everyone can give their best.

· We are one BBC: great things happen when we work together.

In America, when people talk about watching the news, most assume that they are watching CNN, FOX, or MSNBC. All three are owned by bigger companies or corporations with vested interests and usually an apparent skewed perspective. For example, FOX is owned by News Corporation, CEO Rupert Murdoch who gives generously to the Republican party and issues owned by that party. Not only are these three owned by bigger companies, but are all based out of the United States.

The BBC, the largest broadcast news operation in the world, is connected to BBC News and BBC Worldwide, both governed by the BBC Trust (Sambrook, 2008). The BBC news u umbrella encompasses BBC News 24, BBC Parliament, BBC World, interactive services, Ceefax and the BBC News Online (Sambrook, 2008). An article by the director the BBC News, Richard Sambrook, insists that the BBC is often the first place that the people in the UK and around the world come to find impartial news (2008). Some statistics he used to back up this claim came from an ICM, a British research company, poll saying that 93% of the United Kingdom population turned to BBC television, radio, text or online during the first two weeks of the war in Iraq. The survey also showed that in the first week of the conflict, BBC News 24 was seen by 70% of the population—40 million people.

In 2006, the BBC was granted a royal charter that has allowed them money from the government. However, in the agreement between the BBC and government, it was clear that the BBC would retain all editorial control over all media sources. This allowed them to stay true to the first value of being impartial, independent and honest. To drive the point home, and emphasize the idea of nonpartisanship and dedication from the BBC, let the chairman serve as an example. The Chairman of the BBC Trust is Sir Michael Lyons. He had been a very active and revered politician in Britain on behalf of the Labour Party for over 20 years (Conlan & Holmwood, 2007). The Labour party is equivalent to the American Democratic Party (Conlan & Holmwood, 2007). However, upon his appointment to chairman, he resigned from the party, and went on to give speeches and interviews promoting the necessity of a ‘spin-free’ broadcasting company (Conlan & Holmwood, 2007). In an article from the Guardian.co.uk, Lyons is quoted saying, “A BBC that is not independent is, frankly, not worth having. It certainly would not be able to meet the demanding public purposes laid out in the new charter, nor would it long continue to enjoy the public's affection and trust,” (Conlan T. , 2007).

This dedication was apparent in the news stories leading up the election. It was sometimes as if the reporters would wait for the fact sheets to roll in from the candidates and then write a story with varying opinions and little analysis.

Perspective

Five years ago, the BBC and ten other national broadcasters from around the world held a poll that asked the people of the world what they thought of the United States of America. It is important to remember that at this time, America had drug the entire world into essentially a 9/11 witch hunt in two Middle Eastern countries. The results were not very favorable to America in many aspects.

For example, the results, all presented in graph form showed the only Americans had a favorable perception of how we deal with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict (BBC, 2003). In another question, many nations thought that America was more dangerous than North Korea, Iran, Syria and many other hostile nations (BBC, 2003). The final question asked how much safer they were with America’s military.

While many might think that this unfavorable perception of the United States might influence the way that the BBC writes and covers the Presidential Election, this is not true. Stereotypically, America is both envied and hated across the globe. Some insist that ‘Globalization’ and “Americanization” are one in the same, meaning that America’s culture and influence the rest of the world (Owolabi, 2001). This makes it easy for the BBC to be unbiased.

Sticking with their second value, “Audiences are the heart of everything that we do,” the BBC would have to be unbiased. With news like BBC America on one hand, and then news going to Jordan, they have to report the facts; and only the facts. Because people’s perceptions are so different across the globe, and the audiences that the BBC reaches, it does not make sense to shape the news in a certain way or to have a set agenda of news.

Agenda, as defined by McCombs (2005), is “defined abstractly by a set of objects.” This, occurring especially within biased media sources like MSNBC and FOX News, is often defined by ownership of issues. For example, Republicans ‘own’ crime, national security, and foreign policy, while Democrats champion health care, social welfare issues, and income and job security (Petrocik, 1996). Again, since the BBC has a variety of different publics to keep in mind, and also given that those involved with Trust, the governing branch have removed themselves from positions of political influence, it is not surprising that they cover a large variety of issues in nonpartisan ways.

Reports show…

Tracking the BBC for over 10 weeks, then later analyzing the content, it is clear that the newsworthiness of some things differed from other US sites, but was less ‘spun.’ Many times the stories had a much broader perspective. For example, when the economic bailout became big news within the election, the BBC ran stories with comments and insight from the McCain campaign, as well as the Obama. When McCain decided to suspend his campaign, rather than praising him, as Fox probably did, or criticizing him, as MSNBC probably did, they stated the facts. The article headlined, “US rivals in economic crisis talk,” read, “Mr McCain has suspended his campaign over the crisis, but Mr Obama says voters should hear from the candidates. The two men are scheduled to attend a meeting with the president and congressional leaders at 1600 local time,” (BBC News, 2008).

Throughout the weeks, checking at least three times per week (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday), the BBC reportedly had 22 neutrally framed stories based on issues, meaning that they were not supportive or unsupportive of either the McCain or Obama. They also had 28 neutrally framed stories about the character of either candidates. This means that they might say that McCain is a maverick, but Obama is a progressive thinker. Rather than taking ownership and calling either of them anything, however, the BBC had this way of finding someone else to call them that. For instance, they might say, “McCain, the self proclaimed ‘maverick’” or “Obama, who Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, calls the most progressive member of the Senate…”

The BBC has stayed true to their mission, vision and values during this election. They stated the facts, without the ‘spin’ that many see in American news. It appears that in a country of biased news, one may have to rely on the British to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Bibliography

BBC. (2008, November 24). About the BBC. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from BBC Home:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/purpose/

BBC News. (2008, September 25). US rivals in economy crisis talks . Retrieved November 24,

2008, from BBC News: America:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7634810.stm

BBC. (2003, June). What the world thinks of America. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from BBC

News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/programmes/wtwta/poll/html/default.stm

Conlan, T. (2007, November 29). Lyons vows to keep BBC Trust 'spin free'. Retrieved November

24, 2008, from Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/nov/29/bbc.television2

Conlan, T., & Holmwood, L. (2007, April 12). Lyons resigns from Labour party. Retrieved

November 24, 2008, from Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/apr/12/bbc.politicsandthemedia

Damazer, M. (2008). Editorial policy. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from About BBC news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/aboutbbcnews/hi/editorial_policy/newsid_3247000/3247578.stm

McCombs, M. (2005). A look at Agenda setting: Past, present and future . Journalism Studies , 6

(4), 543-557.

Owolabi, K. A. (2001). Globalization, Americanization and Western imperialism. Journal of

Social Development in African , 16 (2), 71-92.

Petrocik, J. (1996). Issue ownership in presidential elections with a 1980 case study. American

journal of political science , 40 (3), 825-850.

Sambrook, R. (2008). About BBC News. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from bbc.co.uk:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/aboutbbcnews/hi/this_is_bbc_news/default.stm

Christmas is HERE!

2008-11-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

At my college, I do work study at the college's switchboard. As exciting as that might sound, I mostly answer phones, questions, and explore YouTube.com. We've since got a Santa that can sing any song-- just plug him in to my laptop. This has provided hours of entertainment... BUT nothing tops this video I found last year:

I know I know... I just can't help myself... So hilarious! Anyways, have a happy Thanksgiving-- and hope this provides a nice break from productivity. :)

Gold Stars and PR

2008-11-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

So, for my PR Campaigns class had a Gold Star contest based on a short analysis of a current event or some other PR case. While I didn't win, I did come in only one star behind. Below are my weekly blogs from the Angel class module. I hope you enjoy!

Mothers deciding who to feed.
What is the situation?
Mothers in Haiti are having to decide which child lives and dies, as they ration what tiny bit of food they have left, CNN reports.

What is the background of the situation?
There has always been impoverished countries and starving people, but we have seen a dramatic increase as the population continues to explode; and as the economy around the world is hurting, food pantries in even the US has seen a significant increase in the number of people that need food.

What is the significance?
This is an awesome opportunity for Monsanto, as there genetically altered food might be a solution to this problem. This might lead to increased funding in research in how to better grow and produce a higher yield of food. This provides the opportunity to build relationships with government and find ways to cheapen the cost of production: this is something that Monsanto wants to do anyways. It also is an obstacle for farmers, b/c we know that this food is not cheap. It's cheaper to buy two hot dogs from Sheetz, than it is to buy a pack of strawberries, or a piece of grilled chicken.
I would suggest that Monsanto needs to inform farmers about this, and encourage them to make more food. The more food will need to meet the high demand at a reasonable price. This should increase the profit for Monsanto, build better relationships and, most importantly help provide some relief for families across the globe.

Healthcare Crisis: Toothless in Appalachia
What is the situation?
The Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps. travel to Wise County Fair Grounds in Virginia for three days to treat the uninsured and underinsured in Appalachia. The Washington Post did a multi-part feature story, including articles, pictures, video and more on the web and in their paper on the crisis and how severe it is in Appalachia.

What is the background of the situation?
Appalachia has been stereotyped, not just in America, but throughout the world as shoeless, toothless, impoverished hicks. The cost of health care, has created a situation where people are literally dying of diabetes but only seek health care once a year when RAMV come to town. A bigger problem being that the ADA is accused of intimidating schools and lobbying against allowing dental hygienist to operate without a dentist supervision or allowing/sponsoring dental therapy majors or consortium for individuals in isolated areas. (They threatened one school by saying they would have members stop donating to the university if they moved forward with the major).

Mike Riggs, writer/intern at reason.com, wrote, "Despite the ADA's best efforts at controlling the cost of dental care, the tide may be turning. In May, reports The Charleston Gazette, West Virginia (whose dental problems rival those of its neighbor, Kentucky) passed a bill that will allow dental hygienists—whose services cost a fraction of those of a licensed dentist—to practice outside of a dentist's office and without a dentist being present. Legislators passed the bill—in spite of loud ADA objections—after journalist Eric Eyre wrote a series of articles detailing the state's abysmal dental care. Bills like the one in West Virginia create new jobs while lowering medical costs."

What is the significance of the situation?
This situation effects a variety of organizations; the State of Virginia, West Virginia, & Kentucky; the ADA; dentists in VA, WV, KY; colleges and universities; lawmakers and policy makers in those states; the RAMV...and many more.
I think that the best opportunity lies with the colleges and universities and law makers. I think that colleges that look at a dental therapy major, and work with legislatures to pass legislation similar to that of WV; allowing people with this major to perform these basic dental practices. For example, if a school like Virginia Tech added the dental therapy major, then worked with the VA legislature to pass this, it would help create a solution to the dental crisis we're seeing in south-western Virginia and southern region of Kentucky by providing a lower cost care for those in need. If a school like Wesleyan did that, and worked, it would help provide jobs in this area, allowing students to stay close to home and also giving students an opportunity to work in this field without 7 or 8 years in school; it would help the people in need in the area, and should help provide relief when it comes to health care costs.

This is an obstacle for the ADA, as they have gained a bad reputation with these articles. Much like Monsanto, they need to find a way to regain a positive reputation within the media and (not so much Monsanto) help foster relationships with colleges and universities. Perhaps they, too, should explore areas to expand the dental arena or sponsoring free dental days within Appalachia so that they are also helping to find a solution to this plague we're experiencing.

Bittersweet Victory
What is the situation?
Obama's grandmother passed away today.

What is the background of situation?
We know that Obama's grandmother has been sick. Last week, he took a couple days off from campaigning to visit his grandmother.

What is the significance of the situation?
First, this is an obstacle for McCain. We know that McCain has really based his entire campaign on criticizing Obama; calling him a terrorist, socialist, radical and inexperienced. In the final hours of campaigning, McCain can't be too harsh on Obama without appearing like an ass. He also can't do a 180, and suddenly be an empathetic to someone about whom he has made such serious accusations.

Second, and most interesting is what this means to Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2008. Most of the skits are pre-recorded, but this untimely death is an obstacle for the comedians. NBC must not ignore this, but also cannot be soft in a manner that makes them appear biased for Obama. They must provide a great show without being insensitive.

Obama describes the feeling as bittersweet. He is less than 24 hours away from being the next president, and just lost the 'rock' of his family. I think that continuing through the campaign, while acknowledging and reacting to this tragedy will, much like everything else he has done, be one more challenge that he will shine through.

What are you doing?
What is the situation?
The New York Times just wrote an article called "U.S. Army lays out scenarios with terrorists using Twitter"

What is the background of the situation?
Twitter is a networking tool that asks, "what are you doing." It allows you to join groups and follow friends by asking that question. It also has the capabilities of getting pictures and almost like an instant message between friends. Last month the Republicans used Twitter to protest a piece of legislation. It has grown to hold some extremists, and has some government officials concerned about terrorism and the impact this tool can have for terrorists.

What is the significance of this situation?
This is a huge obstacle for Twitter. The New York Times is a reputable liberal paper— and if it is concerned with terrorism vs. free speech, then I bet this story will be picked up by others in the media in no time. This is also a company that is interested in growing, and when stories like this are released, it might spark fear in some people. No one wants to be associated with an organization that is deemed as untrustworthy. It really puts the creator of Twitter in an awkward position. Part of it is allowing people to express their views and message people. It also doesn't have a mission statement online to tell exactly what its purpose is, however it does say, "Twitter has grown into a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices. "

I think that the opportunity here will be with government relations. This article made me very afraid. I wasn't familiar with Twitter, and I began immediately to distrust this organization. If, however, I knew that they were working with government to police the website— not to quiet the public, but to ensure safety of the general public, I would feel much better about the organization. If the organization developed some way to track things like this, they could also become a leader within the virtual realm that other organizations such as Facebook, MySpace, AIM, MSN, and others could follow to keep the world safer.

Drive through Voting
The situation:
Early voting has started in many states

The background of the situation.
States, in recent years, in an effort to get more people out to the polls have started using early voting to entice people so that they do not have to wait in long lines on election day

the significance of the situation
America has turned to a place where people want instant gratification. Orange County California recognizes this, and again, in an effort to get more people out to the polls has started drive through voting. This is an awesome opportunity for the state of California and especially the Secretary of State's office. If this turns out to be a good thing, then it might catch on across the nation. This could also be an obstacle, because it isn't so much of a secret. The article does not tell how they make it a secret; there could be others in the car, and we must watch out for voter fraud. However, this allows the soccer mom to vote on her way to the game...

This makes us wonder what kind of voter will come out for this voting; who will it help— the democrats or the republicans...

Ut-Oh Enrollment
The situation?
The economy is a state of crisis.

The background of the situation?
It started as bad prime mortgage loans, and a recession, and has quickly spun out of control leading to tightened credit, panic on Wall Street, and several banks and companies filing bankruptcy, or being bought by other corporations.

The significance of the situation:
With companies like Wachovia Corp. freezing assets, it has transcended across housing market lines, and is affecting over 1000 colleges and private schools. In a time of economic recession, private schools have a hard time recruiting students anyways, but with headlines such as "Colleges Scramble as Fund Is Frozen," in the Wall Street Journal doesn't help with the recruiting process.

However, within this crisis lies an opportunity for WVWC. West Virginia Wesleyan College did not have assets frozen in the Wachovia crisis. While our stock has been hit by the tough economic crisis, our portfolio is very diverse, so we weren't as affected as schools such as Bethany. That means that when students come to Wesleyan to visit, we can say that we have not had to find other sources of revenue to pay our faculty and staff. We can also say with confidence that we are still a strong school that is not in jeopardy of closing with the current crisis. This could be used as a recruitment tool. Another advantage is that we are a residential school, meaning that housing and food is equated in our financial aid package. Since most of the loans and payments are through the federal government, and most aid is from endowed scholarships, our admissions staff can confidently say that although the US might be facing an economic crisis, it should not deter students from applying to Wesleyan. With our enrollment not meeting the goals last year, it is imperative that we work to achieve these enrollment numbers. Who would have thought that this crisis would be a tool that Wesleyan could use to met that goal?

It seems we're outta gas...
The situation:
There is a gas shortage in Georgia, North Carolina, and other southern states, leaving drivers waiting for hours for a tank of gas.

The background of the situation:
There is a pipeline that was affected by Hurricane Ike. This has not only sparked a shortage— but a huge panic. Drivers at one station near Charlotte, NC waited 9 hours for a gas truck at a gas station. They didn't just leave after 9 hours either; an attendant had to come out and tell them that the gas truck was not coming. To make matters worse, Kenneth B. Medlock III, an official from Rice University said “If I had to put a date on it, I’d say things won’t be normal for two more weeks.”

The significance of this situation:
NASCAR returns to Charlotte in less than two weeks. Although they hope to be back to normal in two weeks, when you talk about NASCAR, we're talking about over 2000 gallons of gasoline (assuming their tanks hold 22gal, and they make at least 3 pit stops). This isn't taking into account the other two races, the trailers used to pull in the cars, the buses that the drivers bring, and the campers, cars, trucks and SUVs that fans bring to the race. I know a lot of people that go from WV and even as far away as Florida or Ohio. This gas shortage is going to be a huge obstacle for NASCAR, not only because it will be harder to fans to get there, and getting gas for the cars, but also because they have been a company that has traditionally cared about its fans. Moving forward still having the race without releasing some kind of statement about the gas shortage, would be seen as negligent and careless on the part of the company.

Cheap gas
The situation:
Fuel prices are rising around the world.

The background of the situation:
Gas prices began to surge after 9-11, and have increasing gone up around the world. Within the past year, with the slowing economy, they have not only gone up here in America, but also abroad. One place in particular is Australia. However, many Australians, rather than driving around and finding the cheapest gas, would search for it on in the internet. People that googled "petrol prices" often were looking for Australian cities.

The significance of the situation:
The significance is that Google recognized the opportunity that afforded itself. Once marketing directors noticed how many hits they were getting in Australia for cheap fuel prices, they began to look for ways to get more users. This came with making a new gadget that would help Aussies find cheap gas along their route.

The obstacle will be from the perspective of the gas stations. Stations that are off the beaten path, thus probably costing more to get gas, will find it hard to compete with the places that can afford to get gas cheaper. They must find a way to retain the customers they already have, because many people would wait 15 miles to get gas for ten cents cheaper, even though it ten gallons is only one dollar more.

Texting and Driving
The situation:

There was a train wreck in Los Angeles on Friday that investigators think may have been caused when the engineer was distracted by a text message.

The background of the situation:
Some states have passed laws outlawing texting or using phones while driving. One news article claims that it can be as harmful as alcohol when mixing with driving. (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Cell_phones_as_harmful_as_alcohol_when_mixed_with_driving/articleshow/3485020.cms) This is really the first case that has been in headlines of an engineer or driver of some type of mass transportation killing over 20 people in a cell-phone related accident. This was the deadliest train accident in over 15 years in America killing 25 people, and injuring over 40.

The significance of the situation:

The news media has made this story pretty big. Investigators have not released what provider of cell phone the engineer had, but you have to believe that has to be a concern for the company. Currently, they have no literature about safely using cell phones. AT&T actively works on philanthropic projects, especially in the wake of natural disasters, but have not made any kind of comment about this situation. This accident could be an obstacle for gaining potential customers. If I were the parent of a teen, I might be hesitant about getting my son or daughter a phone with text messaging. For parents with teens that already have that service, they might think about having it removed as their teen(s) start driving. However, if they respond to this by talking to the families, and perhaps starting a campaign about the dangers of talking & driving, and texting & driving, families will see AT&T as a responsible company that cares about their customers. This might sway potential customers to pay a little more for a company that cares. In this case, it would be a great service to the public AND an opportunity. Taking no action could come back to bite them later.

In addition, this might even be a time for them to work on their government relations. This is an opportunity to pass regulation on a national level regulating when people cannot use their cell phones— which, again, could also be an obstacle if they are not proactive in those relationships with law makers. Although no one has mentioned AT&T or any other cell phone provider, this is a crisis not directly related to the company that they should have a plan in order to respond.

Britney's Big Comeback!
What is the situation?
The situation is that Britney Spears was again asked to be part of MTV's Video Music Awards.

What is the background of the situation?
Britney came out in the late 90's. She was the Mousekateer, American sweetheart. Pre-teen and teen girls idolized this new pop goddess. She had number one hits after another. She was thought to be dating the boy band heart throb, Justin Timberlake. After their devastating breakup, he leaked that America's sweetheart may 'not be that innocent.' From there, her reputation began to go downhill, and only slipped faster after a weekend marriage, shaving her head, endangering her children, and her alleged drug and alcohol use. She has tried to make comebacks a couple other times, but has been unsuccessful. Last year, during the VMAs, she came out in a bikini looking as if she was high on some sort of drugs... In addition to being criticized for not performing well, most of the public and press criticized her for being a little too curvy for that outfit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK-T5Y1ZeVg

What is the significance or importance of the situation?

This is a PR opportunity for her. At this year's VMAs, she came in a dress that covered her. Her eyes were bright, and she spoke clearly. She looked very much like her 'old' self. She was once the Princess of Pop, and she still has a pretty large fan base that are currently just disappointed in her actions. If she could come back with a positive image, she could again be making records, and again be a role model for tweens and teens. It mostly affects her popularity in the eyes of the public, as well as her wallet. If she makes a complete comeback, she, much like the New Kids on the Block, will be on the covers of magazines, doing concerts on The Today Show, and making tons of money, again. This was her big opportunity to really reach out to her target audience as the new and improved 'Britney.'

Republican do-gooders
Organization: FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
Situation: Hurricane Gustav
The background is that Hurricane Gustav appeared last week to be a storm of major significance that could influence the lives of thousands, if not millions. It gained strength after killing many in the Caribbean, and appeared to present an imminent danger for the Louisiana & other southern coasts.
The significance of this situation is that FEMA had a terrible response after Hurricane Katrina. There reputation is currently in terrible condition, and being prepared for this situation—or not being prepared for this situation could either cause further detriment to the organization, or it could help in regaining the trust of the public. This situation, from the eyes of FEMA can be a HUGE obstacle, or it could be an opportunity. I feel that this time, this will be an opportunity, because there are many in Washington who have worked to get funding and supplies to these areas already. This is apparent in both FEMA’s website, as well as the influence it has created at the Republican National Convention.

Week in review...

2008-11-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

It's down to the wire. Today, I watched an Obama rally in Columbus, Ohio. He said two words that made the crowd go insane... what words?

TWO DAYS.

It seems like yesterday that I was looking at the BBC for the first time... and now this is the last time that we look at the site to see who the winner is going to be.

The BBC has not really tried to frame things in a way that has lead me to believe they are endorsing one candidate over another. They really have been fair and balanced. I remember being in England watching the news, and being shocked at the little emotion that newscasters put into their news; and now I believe it is shining through with the writing...

For the final week before the election, these have been the top stories on the BBC:
1. Obama moves into Republican states.
Obama has moved into historically republican states. He has more money, and isn't afraid to spend it. He is even spending in Georgia, a state that has only voted Democrat ONCE in the last 20 years. While some pundits say that it may be a sea of blue November 4, the BBC says that within the states, it still might be close...
Meanwhile, McCain is focusing on Pennsylvania...
2. Obama's auntie!
Apparently Obama has an aunt living in America... illegally! He said that he had no knowledge of his Kenyan aunt living in Boston. "David Axelrod, Mr Obama's chief media strategist, told reporters he believed that people would be "suspicious about stories that surface in the last 72 hours of a national campaign". " The BBC made this story about Obama's history, and really didn't do a whole lot of investigation. Sometimes I feel like the BBC just waits for fact sheets from the candidates, and then writes the articles accordingly. I haven't had a chance to watch the news-- but I hadn't heard of this story either... at this point, I think it's too close and the economy is in too bad of a shape to focus on an illegal immigrant aunt...
3. Palin's duped!
Bahahaha!! A Canadian comedian pranked called Sarah Palin, pretending to be the French Prime minister... Good news for the McCain campaign-- she didn't embarrass the family. the BBC even included a taped portion that is very funny. I hadn't heard of this, but apparently the people in Europe got a kick out of it.
4. Cowboy Up
In an effort to give McCain some good press, the BBC wrote an article about how Wyoming voters would never send Obama to the White House... However, I don't know that it really shows McCain in a good light. One statement said, "One said a mixture of habit and tradition, sprinkled with a douse of racism, put paid to any hopes they had of winning Wyoming."
Is it better to foster racism to win an election, or lose? I think it might be like that Ketchem commerical... I don't what he calls me, as long as he votes for me...
This has made me think about uneducated voters-- and the Australian way of making everyone vote... Should educated voters votes count for more? Don't we want smart people that understand politics picking our leaders? and does it benefit the democrats or the republicans to have this demographic voting??
5. The Gov-a-nator
Arnold travels to Ohio to help John McCain in his bid for the presidentency. This is something that I've heard about. McCain has to make a comeback... and what better person to help that the man who is known for the "I'll be back" line? The funny thing about the article, though, is the fact that the reporter actually talks alot about how (see #1) Obama is running ads in places like Georgia... and even in McCain's home state of Arizona... If this story is saturated with these reports about Obama, then is this even the story??

One last thing that I want to add is a video from the BBC... There isn't an article, but I do believe that this should be something that you see.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7704636.stm
I think it says something about the way America is stereotyped around the world...

I believe that McCain should probably start working on that concession speech...

Pack it up, Honey. We're going to the White House.

2008-10-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

This is the point at the high school basketball game when the kids start yelling, "Warm up the buses" or "It's all over."
Friday, October 31, 2008 11:42 pm.
No tricks here; only treats for Obama. In the final days before the election, Obama is moving into typically Republican states. While McCain is in Ohio, and Palin in Pennsylvania, Obama is making stops all over the US, and pouring more money into states like Georgia; a state only voted for a democrat once in the last 20 years.

However, the BBC is still giving McCain a chance. They say that he could be the underdog... That's what he is claiming, so they are reporting it.

Are they giving McCain too much credit? Or are they just trying to 'make news'? They said national polls say that Obama is way ahead overall, but battleground states' polls make it seem closer. After the freshmen seminar presentations, I don't know if I buy it...

It's wonderful to fool the pundits, we're going to win in the state of Pennsylvania

2008-10-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

The main article for today, October 28, 2008 10:37 pm, is about the battleground states, and McCain trying to catch up. McCain and Obama has spent a lot of time in Pennsylvania and North Carolina... and the BBC is not doubting McCain.

Sometimes I wish I had a news source more biased... Again, this article is straightforward. It says, yeah, McCain is behind... But he says he's catching up. Yeah, McCain is neck in neck with Obama in North Carolina, a state that hasn't voted democrat since the 60s or 70s, but McCain has been visiting, and it could still go either way.

They do say, "[McCain] He is the first Republican in many years to find himself outgunned financially and outmuscled on the ground, our correspondent says.

As if to hammer home the point, Mr Obama has bought a costly 30-minute "infomercial" due to be shown on leading US networks on Wednesday evening."

While some may believe this might make it look a little biased, I can't help but see that it is the truth... I think the only thing that McCain can hope for now is lots of racist Americans...

frame it!

2008-10-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

This one is the one that I used for YouTube-- and is actually most current..

Still not sure who I'm going to vote for... but here is a video that I had assigned in my media and election seminar using YouTube downloader and Windows Movie Maker. Hope you enjoy...

Wrap up...

2008-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

As the election draws near, it is gaining more and more attention from the international media. This week has been a good week for news-- but it is funny how different the BBC is from other news sources in America. The issues this week are....
1. The traditional October surprise...
Dr Rupp and Pete talked about this on the first day of Freshmen seminar. The BBC asks, though, will it matter with all the early voting? Will another Osama video come out, using fear as a persuasive means to gaining votes for the Republican party? It is hard to imagine one man being responsible for literally THOUSANDS of deaths, and we can't find him... We have computer programs that know the kind of music that we like based on genres and beats per minute-- but we can't find ONE guy?? This isn't how they frame it-- but they do say bluntly that this is the reason Bush won in 2004. Does it match up with everything I know? Yep.

2. Early voting
The BBC reports that early voting is helping Democrats. The key for McCain to win is for democrats not to get out and vote... Voting in states like North Carolina, a key battleground state has early voting up nearly 400%. The articles says, "In the past, Republicans have tended to benefit from early voting.

"This is like a mirror image of what we've seen in the past," said Paul Gronke, of the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College. "This cannot be good news for John McCain."

Overall, early voting is running about twice as high this year as in 2004 in many states."

It's more than gaining the support of the people. It is about getting the support, and then energizing them in a manner that will make them go out and vote... and Obama is doing that well..

3. McCain the underdog!

McCain is behind... We all know it, but on Meet the Press, McCains says he's not worried... The BBC did a great job at just talking about the situation. McCain claims that the polls aren't accurate... and the BBC doesn't rip him to shreads because of it... and that is probably because it is true. Really, since we do not use cell phones to do polls, they are missing an important segment of the American picture... I know people like my aunt are hoping they are wrong... But, we'll see....

4. Palin's ethics...

While the media in the US can't get over how great Tina Fey does as Sarah Palin, the British are focusing on how... no, wait, wait...

In their "Election in a nutshell" segment, they mention how the Ethics report found Palin to be unethical... What articles did they write though? Tina Fey has to glue her ears down to do a better Palin... I can see the brainstorming session for this week's news stories in case there aren't any tragedies... World hunger? nahhh.... Inpropriaties of an elected officials-- eh, we'll mention it... Tina Fey glues her ears... OMG< FRONT PAGE...

yet, suprisingly enough... that is what people are talking about...

5. McCain isn't playing fair...

That's what Obama is claiming... and again, this is what America is talking about... Last week, in seminar, we talked about Robo-Calling... The BBC doesn't go into great detail about this... I actually didn't realize that this was what this artilce was about until I read it... They took a much less biased view of this topic, using Obama's words and accusations, how ever accurate, to write the story. Again, the BBC seems to want to stay out of this partisanship, while reporting the facts.

Overall, the BBC did a pretty good job this week... I am anxious to see what happens next week-- The last time we'll see election news for four years, as long as there is no Y2K fiasco...

October Surprises

2008-10-24T18:27:00.001-07:00

I usually wait until the last minute to write these blogs, but after visiting bbc.co.uk at 8:30 am on October 23, I realized I couldn't wait...

This wasn't just the front page of the American Election section... No, it was on the main page of the website. It talked about the 2004 election and the Osama video coming out the week before the election... and this article talked about what can happen with the time before this election dwindling...

The discussion in the article makes it appear that a twist would have to occur to benefit John McCain-- BUT it can't be anything that he can be rash about... He is already known as the 'maverick', but some believe that he makes decisions without really thinking or considering the things necessary for a president to consider. The question, then, is really-- is there going to be something happening having to do with something where McCain is stronger in the coming months that Republicans would have potential power over... For instance, if the White House has a tape of Bin Ladin that has not been released yet... that would magically appear before election day...

Another topic that I hadn't thought about is that so many people take advantage of early voting, that it is hard to say how many would be influenced by this action... I would argue, though, that those that have voted already probably were confident in those that they voted for...

It is funny that this is brought up; I remember the first day of Pete and Rupp's freshmen seminar, and they talked about something happening before the election that could turn things around... Right now, I think that the only thing McCain can do is sit back and pray for the Bradley effect...

REJECTED

2008-10-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

October 21, 2008. 11:13 pm
So, it's all about framing. While the BBC has done a really great job at being fair and balanced, BUT today's headline read, "Russians reject McCain cash plea."
The article reads that there was a mishap in the technology, and that the McCain campaign accidentally solicited money for the campaign from Russia. They talked about how, first, candidates were not allowed to accept money from foreign donations. They then went on to talk about how McCain spoke out against them during the Georgia-Russia conflict, and also suggested that we throw Russia out from the G-8 because of their behavior when it comes to human rights.

The article itself isn't so bad. It gives all the information. The reason that it can be considered 'framed' though, is because going from the headline only, it would lead one to believe that McCain is not only dishonest-- but also is doing exactly what he is accusing Obama of doing: pandering with people with questionable ethics and morals...

Whoa Republicans!

2008-10-19T19:28:00.001-07:00

And the stories of the week are:
1. Colin Powell, George Bush's former secretary of state, and one of the few members of Bush's cabinet that is still respected by the general American public is endorsing Barrack Obama. This is a recent development that won't affect most voters-- but those few down the middle, such as myself, this decision will influence them greatly. When I read this, I thought, if he is going to endorse him, then I probably should, becausing being a PR major, I know that it is all about perception. If people think that he will be an instrument of change, then it might empower the public to be the change they want to be... Also, if there aren't red flags up from Mr. Powell, then I trust it...

2. Court blocks Ohio vote challenge...
Republicans wanted to block some votes... but the court did not allow it...
That is what one would think if someone just read the synopsis... but if you read on through it, you would see, "... there were 200,000 cases where voter registration did not match social security or motor vehicle registration records, [but] the majority of the cases were mis-spellings or inaccuracies in data bases."
I can see how this story would be significant in the state of Ohio, but this is not what my friends and family are talking about...

3. Obama breaks another record.
Obama brought in another record breaking month of fundraising. The BBC reported that he brought in over $150 mil. This is significant in the history of US Politics. Not only is our country is a tight economic crunch, but this is also a time where people's ethics are under a microscope... and if, even with those conditions, is still making and breaking records like that... then it is something that people are going to notice. They didn't really rag on McCain, though. It always, in each of these articles, tells about how McCain gets his funding in other ways--agreeing not to solicite from the public campain finanace. So far, while fair and balanced, most good stories come from the Obama/Biden ticket.

4. Live from New York...
It's Sarah Palin!! Palin made her debut this weekend on SNL. The headine reads, "Palin joins her mimic on US show." Humor plays an important role in this election, and especially the jokes on SNL. This is a great way to reach out to a younger demographic, who again, rather than voting on the issues, are voting on character... This will be something that my friends and family will actually talk about-- more because it is entertaining rather than newswothy.

5. Pro-America states...
It's crunch time for Mccain... The final issue that the BBC talks about is how McCain has to catch up strategically using the battleground states. This is something that we talk about more in classes than in conversation, but it is something. With less than 20 days left till election day, it is imperetive that McCain pull out the works in those key states...

Election is two weeks from Tuesday, and most states are now allowed to have early voting.... I'm excited to see how everything begins to change in the next two weeks! :)

Florida, North Carolina & Virginia....

2008-10-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Friday October 17, 2008 10:50 pm.
It's not about having the most supporters; it's about getting your supporters registered and out on November 4th. That is what the BBC is saying. It again is not about framing it to make Obama look ahead. Obama is ahead, but unlike MSNBC, they're not saying it is over.

One quote said, " The winner of the 2008 election is likely to be the candidate who is most successful at getting their voters to the polls."

The BBC is saying that if McCain doesn't win NC, VA and FL, there is no chance for victory, and this is the headline tonight. Another top story is that the Republicans sued the state of Ohio about voting registration, and voting policy. While this would be an awesome opportunity to frame the story in such a way that makes the Republicans or Democrats villains or heroes, again, the BBC just states the facts.

I think, much like me, the BBC is becoming more lax about the entire election, especially as the economy continues to jump back up... 17 more days...

money money money.... MUN-AH

2008-10-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

October 14, 10:30 pm
And it appears that the candidates are finally talking about things that the American public is interested in...

the ECONOMY. The two lead stories are about Obama's and McCain's economic plan. With McCain behind in the polls, he had to have a plan and he has to understand it, and be able to explain, in particular to undecided voters... and the BBC framed it in this way. On the nutshell, they say, "John McCain unveils an economic plan in response to yesterday's Obama plan"

Responding? It's all about McCain catching up... The pic in the nutshell alludes to the debate tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow, we can get some answers.... Let's see who the BBC favors after tomorrow, and after the plans of both candidates have the opportunity to be vetted...

Class Notes... Oct 13

2008-10-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Maslow's hierarchy of needs...

Self-Actualization (what you do is what you are meant to do)
Self-Esteem
Belonging & Love
Safety
Physiological needs
They want to say that we are not safe after 9/11. The frame says 'it could happen to me, anywhere.' It is now over here...

Carter-- human rights... It's not really our problem
Reagan-- TWA hijacking... International security. In this instance, it was framed differently.

The fact that it was right behind us... It is now in America.
1995- FBI building..

Americans harming Americans = criminals...
Others harming Americans = terrorists

Compare to today: Economics!
Proactive in finding the truth... www.fightthesmears.com <-- What to think about: Taxes How to think about it: Obama says

95% will not have taxes raised
McCain will give oil companies break

McCain says

economy in trouble, so you don't raise them
jobs

Democrats own:

health care
social welfare
income
job security

Republicans own:

defense/national security
crime
foreign policy

Fear appeal: We don't know what everyone is afraid of...

Dan Rather showed the video of Bush not being in the air force... You show too much violence... you show too much sex...

Well, it's what you want to see. Chicken & the egg-- do we want to watch it b/c we want to see it-- or do we watch it b/c they show it and now we want to see it...

Do you tell us what should satisfy us? Or do they show what will satisfy us?

Overtime, you become someone who wants to see sex in advertising... What is fine? What can we NOT see on television? We become desensitized...

Other fear appeals:
Jobs
Taxes
Terrorism
Character attacking...

Obama taunting McCain... Bring it on.... We love watching other people fighting each other...

Because of the Republican party, we have stamped out terrorism within the United States...
Democrats majority in congress...

I can't take the fighting, the back-stabbing, the open hostility. We're not acting like cheerleaders, we're acting like a bunch of sorority girls!

2008-10-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

That's right... a quote from the movie Sugar & Spice best describe this week in politics. But what are the big stories at the end of the week? Sunday October 12, 10:02 PM.

1. Obama's lead/ McCain's battle to catch up
In light of the economic crisis, Obama has taken a lead in a race that has been a virtual deadlock. The news, however, has not been about how Obama can stay ahead; rather, it has been framed in a way that asks how McCain can catch up. I personally, can't decide if that is some ploy to gain readership in a certain niche, or if it is just the angle they randomly picked... But this seems to go on pretty well with the others in the media world.

2. TrooperGate
This was the week that the ethics report came out about Sarah Palin's role in the firing of a trooper in Alaska, and how it was related to a family feud. This was important because it provides insight to her character, which, contrary to popular belief, those that watch the media know is the most important issue in this election. The BBC does a good job at showing "both sides" or contridictory opinions... but I'm not sure this has match up with what my friends and family are talking about...

3. Smears
This ties into McCain catching up. This is the smearing that is happening in the campaign. Dr. Rupp said last week that the undecided voters that he wants to reach out to does not like to hear negative ads, but McCain's campaign team has not heard that. Even today, Palin is making more charges against Obama. They talk about the ties to Terrorists, and even made that a story. Some voters, again, some of my family who tend to be narrowminded, voting on single issues like the war and abortion, buy into those ties... but are those the people McCain wants to reach?

4. Palin's email
Again, this is something that I don't think anyone but the media cares about. It is interesting because the student who did it was the son of a congressman, and there is invasion of privacy that is happening... but it doesn't really have anything to do with the election, because none of those emails turned out to be anything bad... I'm not sure why this is a top story IN THE ELECTION with less than 25 days to go...

5. Economic crisis.
The problem with the crisis is the one that most people are talking about... yet other than Obama's lead, this hasn't been tied into the stories this week. I think this is because there was so much on it last week... and when the candidates are so vague, the media cannot keep reporting the same facts or analysis every day...

I know that the news this week on CNN and Fox has had more of the racism sentitment... I'm anxious to see if this pops up more as the elections draws nearer..

Back to the BS

2008-10-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Friday October 10, 2008 7:36 pm.

While I have been completely immersed in the business world of Trustee Meetings for the past two days, the election has only briefly been in my mind since the debate... And while this is still a great concern among everybody, it appears that you can only beat that horse so long...

That is why the BBC, instead, is writing articles on an ethics report on Sarah Palin that no one has read yet... and also on McCain's campaign messages accusing Obama of having ties to terrorists.

In their Day in a Nutshell segment, they are talking about troopergate.. Again, it is hard to talk about how this is framed because it appears to me that they are unbiased, presenting only the facts, and all the he said she said garbage. In editorials, they allow authors to write what they think... but even then, they have pretty fairly balanced representation from both sides of the specturm. I did notice today, though... they featured quotes from both of the candidates' wives.

They quoted Michelle Obama from her appearance this week on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with John Stewart
. It quotes her saying, "I put myself in the position of a voter, and I tell him, if I don't believe you, I'm not voting for you, buddy."

As for Cindy, she says, "I have very distinct things that I like. I have very distinct opinions. Just because I choose to be a little less overt out on the campaign [trail] doesn't mean I'm anything less than very opinionated and very intelligent." That is from an interview with Good Housekeeping...

I don't think that what they said is important... it's more about who they said it to... The Daily Show shows that Obama is reaching out to the younger voters... Good Housekeeping is to upper-middle class white women...

The BBC doesn't say this... but what this election comes down to is who is going to show up on election day....

and the beat goes on...

2008-10-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 7:11 am.
The BBC may not be framing this in a way that makes it appear that McCain is loosing ground.... he actually appears to be loosing ground. However, does this kind of talk deter undecided voters to vote for Obama?

The Day in the Nutshell says that McCain did not get the win he so desperately needed to keep his campaign alive. One source said, "Because he's trailing, we needed to see something different from McCain tonight. It wasn't a bad night for him, and most of his answers were fine. But there wasn't anything that any of us are going to remember in a couple of days..."
Jim Geraghty, National Review.

They report that polls say some people say that Obama won, while others say McCain, but a majority say that it was a draw... but is it lining up with what my friends and family are saying?

No. Candidates have got this thing where they can totally avoid a question. They say something like 'I'm not going to talk about that... instead, I want to talk about blah blah blah.' How can the media ignore this? I guess, because everyone else is...

Final Countdown

2008-10-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

Less than a month from the election... and what is the BBC talking about?
1. Economic Bail-Out
Again, this had to be a big story, even for a news agency outside of the US, because the US market is a world leader. Usually, if America is hurting, most countries, especially Europe will probably follow suite, as America is a world leader. Although the BBC doesn't frame this in a way that blames anyone, say the Bush administration or John McCain, it does say this in their 'day in a nutshell' article, "'I want to thank one person who's not here, and that's Barack Obama, who made numerous calls and helped us get the votes to pass this.' Rahm Emanuel, House Democratic Caucus chairman"
2. The VP Debate
Sarah Palin came onto the scene and took the US by storm. While many past VP debates have not been watched by a huge population. This debate, however, most definitely was. Most were waiting for Sarah Palin to fall flat on her face, especially after her embarrassing interview with Katie Couric... as well as ready for Biden to say something to knock Obama from his increasing lead... However, again, the BBC does not take a side, reporting "No train wreck"

3. McCain pulls out of Michigan
McCain is behind, and while you might think he needs to keep on campaigning hard, his campaign decided that he needed to refocus his energy... The BBC, while I believe are only speaking the truth, are showing that even while McCain, who had to "inevitability have to withdraw from one state" shows that Obama is gaining a lead...

4. Obama's terrorist ties
This is a recent development... Since the VP debate; again, the BBC is showing both sides of the story. They printed the story and put a video clip in there where Palin actually makes the connection. They then printed the article where Obama refuted that, as well as that video clip. It turns into a he said/she said, but the BBC is telling you about it...

5. Polls in battleground states
This is part of every story, but also has some pictures.. This is straightforward with stories and options so that you can make the call yourself... It tells with facts, how Obama is gaining in battleground states.

This pretty much follows what I'm hearing about in my election classes, as well as with family and friends. While this is a hectic time of year, and this is taking a backseat in the Wesleyan World, I'm sure that the debate on Tuesday is sure to take the forefront tomorrow... I'm excited to see what the media predicts, and even more excited to see what happens on Tuesday...

VP Debate...

2008-10-03T20:03:00.001-07:00

The BBC, as I'm guessing most other news sources are focusing on two things: the VP debate and the economy.
10:30, Friday October 3, 2008.
BBC, unlike MSNBC or Fox News, is not so biased. It makes it hard, sometimes for me to try to see how they frame it. While the articles about the VP were pretty straightforward wit a combination of facts about each side. They also made a chart with the words that both candidates used most often.
They also reported about how Obama was leading in the polls currently by about 9 points. However, I've noticed there hasn't been much about racism and accuracy of these polls.
In the primaries, in the exit poll, many people said they voted for him, but when the actual numbers came out, they were significantly lower than those who actually voted for him. This, I learned at the racism and politics conference is what we refer to as 'invisible racism.' However, the BBC does not mention this...
This makes me wonder if they intended to leave this out; if they planned to frame it in this way.... or since they are not part of the culture, if they are blind to what is going on...
As the election draws nearer, the BBC is getting really cool tools to help you watch the debate, such as a calendar of events, financial tracker and polls. If you are interested in pretty unbiased news, you might want to check out www.bbc.co.uk.

Ohio begins!

2008-09-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

The front story Tuesday 11:30, is that Ohio begins voting. This is a big deal because not only is it a battle ground state, but it is also the first to open its polls. There are mixed feelings about this; Republicans believe that it is easier to have fraud, while democrats encourage it.
The BBC does this thing, though, where they talk about about the race in a nut shell. When the BBC does it in this way, it says that, of course, the biggest deal in the election, is still the economic crisis. They say that while Obama has a lead in national polls, McCain is gaining in states such as Ohio and Indiana. However, he is loosing ground in states like Florida.
I was looking at other sites, and they're all talking about Palin-Biden debate. The funny thing about this, is that the BBC doesn't do a feature on this, they do include this picture as the 'picture of the week'. It is showing that the VP debate is ready to go.

As far as framing, it again, seems pretty straight-forward. I did notice, today, however, on the main page, the main picture is McCain. I'm excited to watch to see how the BBC is going to watch and cover the VP debate, and wonder if they are using more of McCain's pictures because Sarah Palin is more of a celebrity this week....

Week in review...

2008-09-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

As in other weeks, the BBC has been closely following the election this week. And, also like other stations, I'm sure that the economy has been in the forefront. The issues this week, include the following:
1. The Debate
This in itself was an issue. This was a pretty big deal because of the other issues (economy, McCain, Palin), all fed into this. The economic crisis, the close second, could not be ignored. This became part of the debate, and was thus covered, and the fact that this was going to happen definitely making headlines. The economic crisis was a news story, and that related to the election was a news story... but the fact that this was going to be covered in the debate was the bigger story.
2. The economic bailout...
The US is facing the worst economic outlook on Wall Street since the Great Depression. This has an effect on the entire world market. The measures that the government is taking, and the candidates' response has made headlines, as well. Economic & Foreign policiy is what is going to decide this election, because every American is concerned. the BBC does a pretty good job at telling what the candidates think without bias.
3. McCain suspending campaign
This is a story, because it affects the debate and is directly related to the economic bailout. McCain, whose campaign slogan is "Country First," is fulfilling his duty as senator, putting his campaign second. Supporters look and say-- this kid mean business--- and Obama called him out saying that it is important that McCain be able to multi-task. The BBC said, "Republican John McCain said he was suspending his campaign to return to Washington to deal with the crisis.

But Democratic rival Barack Obama said it was "more important than ever" for US citizens to hear from the person who would soon be "dealing with this mess"."

4. Palin's talks with world leaders.

Palin will face Joe Biden in a debate this week. Palin meeting with world leaders is important because, until this year she didn't even have a passport. Her experience with foreign policy consisted of her proximity to other nations. The BBC wrote the story in such a way that made it appear that these meetings were mostly in preparation for the debate.

5. Past presidential debates

The BBC, like others, liked to look at past presidential debates to compare this debate to. They talked about debates such as the 1960 debate between Kennedy and Nixon, and even the Bentson-Quayle VP debate. The VP debate between Palin and Biden is expected to be a factor in the upcoming election, not something you see everyday in a American presidential elections. Also-- reminding everyone of the past election mess-ups, helps keep everyone looking for the current candidates mistakes.

This aligns pretty well with what my group of friends, and peers are talking about. I went home this weeknd, and not only was my aunt and uncle watching it (baby boomers), but so was my grandmother. I found it surprizing, though, that while my aunt and uncle decided a long time ago that they were voting for McCain, my grandmother hadn't decided yet. This debate, my family thought McCain won-- and the articles that the BBC wrote asking who won said that it was either a draw, McCain w/ a slight win, OR Obama winning by a landslide (those were few).

I feel like the BBC has done a great job with reporting this election, and I look forward to following it for the next 30 some days.

AND THE WINNER IS....

2008-09-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

I had been waiting for this day... I wanted to see who the BBC was going to endorse, especially after the editorial about how some elected official said that if she were a voting American citizen, she would vote for Obama.

Now the thing about that, is that the BBC is very clear about what is editorials or OpEds, and what are actual news stories. So, I watched the debate, waited a few minutes, then looked to the BBC. Sure enough, the entire top half, or what the industry calls 'above the fold' was dedicated to the US presidential debate.

The article, entitled, "McCain and Obama spar in first debate" was complete with video clips was up and ready to go when I checked at 10:50 pm Friday September 26, 2008.

I noticed that in the bolded sections of the article (unlike many news sites, the BBC breaks up their articles into subheadings), after the first subheading, each one was a quote--either directly or indirectly from McCain. This could have been for a couple of reasons. The first is that foreign policy is McCain's thing. This could also be because the fact that McCain was there was a big deal.

As was reported in days previous, McCain had vowed that he would not be debating if congress had not made significant progress in solving the economy problem. Luckily, 10 hours before, he said that he thought significant progress had been made, so he could be there.

This also sparked the first part of debate. This was supposed to be all about foreign policy, but there is no way that the moderator could ignore the crisis that our nation is facing. This doesn't seem to be a problem just for America though.

I thought that the BBC would focus on the issues dealing with foreign policy in their article. I thought this because they are one of our closest allies. They are the ones that are still in Iraq and Afghanistan with us, so why would they NOT be interested in this discussion.

Well, I believe it's because we are leaders in the economy, and our banking industry is facing the worst crisis we've seen since the Great Depression. And this isn't just affecting us; it is affecting the world.

Did they call a winnner? No. They, once again, have given us the facts, backed up with video...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7639070.stm

More economics as we prepare for debate

2008-09-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

9:50 pm Tuesday September 23

This Friday is the first presidential debate that is supposed to be focused on foreign affairs. We know that this is where McCain is supposed to shine; we also know that public speaking is Obama's thing. The BBC reports that the Obama campaign, though, is not pumping up this debate. Instead of setting Obama up for success, they are setting McCain up for failure. The BBC reports, "This debate offers [Mr McCain] a major home-court advantage and anything short of a game-changing event will be a key missed opportunity for him."

They couldn't ignore the still growing concern of the economic crisis. They actually touched on something that I hadn't been hearing in the news. they said, "The two candidates - whose campaign plans have both been knocked off course by the crisis - have taken increasingly divergent paths on the bail-out, although both are moving gingerly lest they be blamed for blocking the rescue."

Yeah, they'll comment, but they won't have a discussion about it. They tend to attack the other candidate, rather than talk about the issue.

And we can't forget about our favourite* female vice-president. Sarah Palin has managed to stay in the headlines. Someone had hacked into her email-- but the story got juicy. It turns out that invesigators believe that it was the 20-year-old student David Kernell, son of state congressman Mike Kernell.

They also have a special editorial that I found interesting; it was about the view the rest of the world will have of the United States if we face, again, what we did in 2000. The author talks about the chances that we get a 269 to 269, and how that would make America appear weak. They also provide a new electoral map, showing exactly how this could happen; and also how this provides a much better chance to see our first women presidet; Nancy Pelosi.
They sum up what is important with one article. They said, "The candidates continue to give their responses to the US Treasury Secretary's $700bn economic bailout plan. McCain campaign managers lay into the media in general and the New York Times in particular."

This is what is important so far this week, but we'll certainly see how this changes as we grow closer to the debate, and election.

Five things the world cares about this week...

2008-09-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

So, what is the world, and more specifically the BBC focused on when it comes to this election?
1. Economy
2. election finances
3. Palin's email hacking
4. psychology of Obama & Palin
5. Palin-Biden upcoming debate

How could the economy NOT be the most important issue? Although there aren't a lot of stories about this on the front page, they have many editorials about it. The story on the US economy is the one on the homepage, though. The economy was in danger of crashing earlier this week. The second set of stories, I think were popular because people are interested in the economy, and how much money that the candidates are spending ties in to that. Are they being more conservative when the economy is bad? (no)

Like I said on Friday, the BBC was comparing big-city Obama to small-town Sarah. This, again, was the chance for the media to focus on things other than the issues. That also fueled the Palin-Biden debate article. Rather than talking about the issues, they talked about Biden's popularity or lack thereof, or his comments about how Hilary should have his position.

The BBC does keep a profile of what the candidates think and plan to do about the issues, and I feel that the BBC will have actual issue coverage once the debates begin... but until then, I think that we're going to be looking at character and word wars...

I know I'm not American, but I'd vote for....

2008-09-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

WHAT? Again, the leaders of the free world's economy is crashing. We're staring an oncoming depression in the face. And... we're speculating who we would vote for if we were Americans?

I will give it to the BBC. I feel that the people at the BBC all have different feelings about Americans and our politics. This is because some articles seem down the middle while others lean a bit left or right.

The headline today {10:53 Friday September 19} is about McCain criticizing the bailout. This is a headline because historically, he has sided with Bush about many things. Is this a tactic to demonstrate how he can disagree with Bush? A way to show that he is not the same old Washington? It certainly doesn't seem that way. There's no mention of that in the article. It also fits in with the Republican platform: get government out and let us be!

Democrats should be saying, we'll give you the rules, so we'll give you the assistance, but McCain is saying, it is time that we stop helping them and they take responsibility for their institute. Obama wasn't in the headlines... but he got a section to himself about this whole situation. He is again appealing to this small town; talking about saving Main Street.

Why is this? In another article on the BBC, they talked about Big-City-Barrack vs. Small-Town-Sarah. While we know that most of America is made up of city dwellers, why has SArah Palin become so popular?

It's simple: look at the battleground states. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia? Do you first think of Philadelphia? or Scranton? Columbus? or St. Clairesville? It's the small town voter that are hurting; and the ones deciding this next election.

I guess this array of articles makes it tough as to what really matters in this election... Will it be the (failing) economy that decides, or who can really rock out to John Mellencamp's "I was born in a small town" ?

white women, economic woes, West Wing & a bit of FDR

2008-09-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today I found the RSS feed that sends me all the latest updates about the election according the BBC. I learned that there were many more articles that were hidden from other correspondents in America. Today, for example four articles came out; for the past three weeks, there have only been around 4 main articles a week about the election. It turns out, that it's more about where you look.

But what's important? Well, the first story of the day focused on the fact that football moms at Barrington High in Illinois, and their affection for Sarah Palin. The writer quipped about the fact that none of these women that were excited about the woman on the ballot knew a thing about Palin's policies. They were also quick to say that although some women think she is great, others do not see her as a feminist; she is pro-life.

But this isn't the story of the day. Anyone with a television has heard about the economy; Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae had to be bailed out; Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy; and Bank of America is buying Merrill Lynch. This is an issue that the candidates could not ignore. The entire country is feeling the heat. the BBC reported that this is consistently the number one concern in this election. What are they reporting that McCain & Obama are saying?

It appears that Obama is blaming Bush... again. McCain says that it is the fault of "ineffective regulation and management".

This article was super short; and it wasn't the last article for the day; the BBC went on to publish another story beforehand, as well as leave the two stories before that up. One was a story about how this entire situation was almost identical to one on the fictional show The West Wing. Newsworthy? eh... Interesting-- but what does this say about how interested the rest of the world really is in the American election?

I mean, really? Our entire financial institution is about to crumble. The Lehman Brothers made it through two wars and The Great Depression: we hit what those of us without homes thought of as a 'minor credit crisis,' and suddenly thousands are without jobs; the mayor of New York City is cancelling his trip to Africa, and the writers at the BBC are concerned about how our election is looking like a rerun of The West Wing? We're the leaders of the free world, and this is the article we're reading...

It makes it clear, once again, that although there are tons of issues, we want to focus on the ones that matter least.

Class Notes...

2008-09-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

Questions to be considered from the Maxwell reading and will be collected (typed out):

1. What is an Agenda?

a. Agenda, in this article, is “defined abstractly by a set of objects.” This is where we pick certain things about a topic to highlight to make people think about certain things in a certain light. For instance, we might have crime as an agenda, but instead of focusing of the declining crime rate, we might look at stolen identity and think that crime is getting worse.

b. A list of priorities that we should think about

c. A formal list of things to be done in a particual order

d. An underlying personal viewpoint or bias.

e. Therefore, to set the agenda means:

i. To be the major influence or force affecting something

1. For example, the media

2. Define Agenda Setting

a. Agenda setting is a theory “focused on the salience of objects, usually public issues, but sometimes other objects.” For the purpose of this class, we’re looking at what issues or objects are important in this upcoming election. This theory suggests that the media tells us not only WHAT to think about, but also HOW to think about it.

b. A list of priorities that we should think about decided by the news media.

c. Presumes that the media doesn’t tell us what to think (as did the Bullet” theory)

d. The media can be successful in telling us what to think about

i. This is also known as Agenda-setting’s first level.

e. How important is Mad Cow Disease? Well, it was really important in 2000—but we don’t really think it is important…

f. The tsunami received more help than the earthquake in Pakistan

g. Ford went down two years because of the tires fiasco. Bridgestone/Firestone

3. Define salience

a. Salience is defined by Merriam-Webster as a striking or point or feature. For example, the election might be a newsworthy issue, but we’re focusing on Palin’s pregnant teenage daughter. The media made it so that that object, her daughter’s pregnancy, was salient. He says that salience is identified with three dimensions of this concept: attention, prominence and valence.

b. Early attention was on the transfer of salience from the news media to the public

i. Salience: the quality of being particularly important.

c. Early studies (McCombs & Shaw, aka the Chapel Hill Study, 1972) therefore was concerned with determining what issues were important to the public and did the news media have anything to do with this public “agenda”

d. It is important to remember that the media landscape in 1972 did not include the multi-channel world of Cable and Satellite and the “new media” channels introduced by the internet.

e. The definition of ‘news’ today is different than in 1972.

f. There are like 10 news companies.

g. WHO OWNS

4. What does the author mean by the assumptions that behavioral changes which have led to fragmented audiences suggest an end to agenda-setting?

a. He talks about the internet, and the fact that people are looking at things that matter to them. Before, we all got our news from newspapers and the 6 o’clock news. Now, with blogs and specialized news sites, we aren’t necessarily married to those media sources. We’ve, thus, fragmented ourselves because we all have different things that we care about, rather than letting the media lead us to believe that we care about other things.

b. Behavioral changes which have led to fragmented audiences suggest an end to agenda-setting as it has been understood.

i. Heterogeneity (diversity) is a prime culprit, in difference to the highly redundant news presentations of the past

ii. The Chapel Hill study, for example, founda +0.71 median correlation of similarity among nine news media agenda

c. The central question remains: regardless how many channels there are available, what is their frequence of use?

i. H1: Since web access allows large numbers of people to visit many differenct sites for information, audiences have become highly fragmented.

1. However, even with the suggested growth, the top five online newspapers account for the 41.4 percent of all…

ii. H2: agendas in the online world are highly divergent and not highly redundant as is the assumption with traditional media.

5. What is an “object” according the author?

a. He says that “the term ‘object’ is used here in the same way that social psychologists use phrase ‘attitude object’ to designate the thing that an individual has an attitude or opinion about.”

b. The salience of objects

i. Objects designate things (attributes) that individuals have an attitude or opinion about.

ii. Agendas are defined by a set of objects

1. Objects have attributes

a. Attributes are characteristics or traits that describe them

6. What is agenda setting’s Second Level?

a. The first level is telling us what to think about.

b. The second level of agenda setting claims that not only can the media tell us what to think about, but also HOW to think about it. They say, you should think about the economy—but you should think about it in terms of our leading mortgage leaders are failing. This level involves both attributes and frames.

7. What is Framing?

a. The author writes that “A frame is an attribute of the object under consideration because it describes the object.” The author gives the example of a situation in Texas in the 1990s when intensive crime coverage was happening, and was generating a high level of public concern, because the media was framing in a way that made it seem urgent.

8. “Orientation” is defined by what concepts?

a. It is defined by relevance and uncertainty. If it is relevant and your uncertain, then you will be more prone to be swayed. If it isn’t relevant and your uncertain, then it doesn’t matter. If it’s relevant, but your certain, then it’ll be harder to sway.

List some newsworthy items

· Hurricane Ike

· Hurricane Gustav

· Gas prices

· Decline of our financial institutions

· Lehman brothers

· Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

· The US election

· War in Iraq

· French election

· Preliminary rounds of world cup

· Fraternities

· West Nile Virus

· Fashion Week in New York

· Pittsburgh Pens Pre-Season

· Issue

The first level is telling you what to think about. 1938, Mars is attacking Earth. It was at this time that we thought that the media are telling us what to think. Then in the 1940s, we start seeing propaganda from Germany. What happens, back then, this is all we hear. Now, we have many different ways of getting our information. You’re going to call, text, get online… what to think is no longer substantiated.

West Nile Virus was never eradicated. SARS never eradicated. We have a funnel. Everything that might be important, goes through the funnel, and the media spits it out. Which one is the most important thing…

Classes top 5

1. Obama August $$

2. Palin yes to oil drilling (ANWR)

3. Palin’s Gibson interview

4. Obama lowered polls

5. Popular of Obama in other countries

Wrap Up and top 5...

2008-09-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Under 50 days left to win this election? What does the BBC think we should be looking at to decide who to vote for?
1. Sarah Palin's ABC special
2. Sarah Palin's family
3. Obama's fund raising ability
4. Sarah Palin on Sarah Palin ad, and Obama's refusal to apologize
5. 9-11 remembrance.

Looking at classmate's blogs, it appears that the BBC is following the America media as far as the agenda they are running. Sarah Palin has certainly shaken things up in the entire world. While many analysts might say that Palin was not vetted as she should have been, I think that McCain can see what happened to Obama in primary season, and I'm seeing a paralell to what is happening now.

Hillary 'leaked' things like the picture of Obama in a turban, and then the tape of his minister was all over the television. It seemed that no matter what you heard about him, his popularity continued to explode. The more controversy, the more he became recognized and popular. Sarah Palin stepped up, and she has been criticized for her pregnant daughter and her 'abstinence' push; the 'troopergate' scandal; the fact that she has children, one of which is special needs, one is pregnant, and the other in Iraq (all under age 20) and she's running for one of the most powerful positions in governement (time commitment?); and let's not forget the fact that she is 44 with little experience, which just happens to be the entire platform that McCain had built his election on...

Someone once said that 'there's no such thing as bad press,' and I think McCAin and Palin are experiencing those consequences... One thing is for sure; the BBC has bit on, and caught Palin fever...

Obama Returns

2008-09-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

5:39 PM Sunday, September 14, 2008

After a week with Sarah Palin in the headlines, Obama returns. The main story this week is that Obama got almost a half million new donors and beat his previous fundraising record. In this month, he raised over $66 million...

They talk about how he will have much more money than McCain, which Obama will need after Palin's big premier on Thursday. Even though this was the headlining story, you couldn't help but notice the story underneath. That, my friends, is another story about Sarah Palin, and her husband being supenaed in the 'troopergate scandal'.

In their blog section, they have articles about what we've learned about SArah Palin, and what the American people are looking for in a president. Although there seems to be a larger number of stories about the REpublicans, they tend to have a more negative slant than those about the democrats, making it seem as though, they are a little more left...

This is another week of unimportant issue discussion... Although, the candidates' ethics are important, we should move on to the plan to solve the energy crisis; or how we can improve the economy; or what the president means to the rest of the world. Instead, we're looking how much money they are spending now; I can think of a lot of things that $66 million dollars could buy other than ads smearing John McCain... say, solving world hunger-- or perhaps fighting illertacy?

And we're live on air

2008-09-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

09:21 ET, Thursday, 11 September 2008-- last page update
11:45 pm Friday night 12 September 2008--date accessed

Sarah Palin had just finished her interview. The BBC, as did most news stations posted this as the most important issue of the day... and seeing as how it was still the most important issue on Friday night, they must feel that this is definitely an important issue for the upcoming election.

The BBC opens this article with a clip from the ABC interview. They really focus on her 'lack of experience'. In the interview, it is almost like a quiz to ensure that she is knowledgeable and aware of current events. The BBC also cuts off the interview after she says that America should be able to attack countries suspected of harboring terrorists without the permission of the country that they're invading... Those living in Europe and really, the target audience for the BBC are not huge fans of America and our current war fiasco. This is definitely being spun in a way that is meant to hinder the success of the Republican Party.

The article then goes down to provide analysis of what this interview meant. Although they appear to be fair and balanced, when you look at the headlines, you see 'Lack of Experience' and they go on to talk about three paragraphs. The next headline is 'Proud.' There is one paragraph talking about how she is proud, and the others, again, are talking about NATO and her son, Track.

I feel as though, again, it is easier to attack a person and their record than it is to face the issues. I think that is because most issues do not have a simple solution, and while everyone is shouting for change, no one wants to stop driving their cars, or separating their trash, or donate more to charitable causes. Few want to give up their Saturdays to help the less fortunate and more people want to have more money; less to the government. Sure, we all want change-- but we don't want to have to change; we want others to do that... so instead of holding ourselves accountable, we mention issues, and then we talk about the things we're good at talking about; other people.

They start by saying that it didn't do much to change voters. People that liked her still like her; people that didn't... still don't.

Do you know the difference between pigs and pit bulls? Apparently Sarah Palin...

2008-09-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

So, news has moved on from Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter, and her electrifying speech. The republicans have found a nice little clip referring to pigs and lip stick, thinking that it was an allusion to the joke Sarah Palin made about hockey moms.

On BBC Wednesday, September 10 at 11:45, the main story about the election is Obama denying the charges that he was being sexists. He claims that his comments were taken out of context. The BBC writes, ""The McCain campaign would much rather have the story about phoney and foolish diversions than about the future," the Illinois senator said."

I feel like this issue is moot. McCain made the same kind of comments about Hilary Clinton. Also, the McCain campaign has been running negative ads from some time now. At least in the outlets I've been watching, I have not been seeing any kind of rebuttal from Obama. It seems that McCain can give grief, but plays the girl card when Obama fights back...

I feel like this story will blow over, and that the stories that aren't getting much attention are the ones that may make a difference. Below the Obama and lipstick story is the one where Ron Paul is calling for people to deny both candidates and pick a third party. His slogan? I'd rather throw away my vote than throw away my country. With the election as close as it is, a few thousand votes might just throw this election one way or another...

It's that time of year again...

2008-09-08T03:57:00.000-07:00

That's right. September 11, a day that anyone over the age of 17 will remember for the rest of their lives. It's because that is the day that America changed. It was like the Pearl Harbor of the 21st century.

It is the time when the world came together to mourn the loss of thousands of lives. It was the day that it didn't matter if you were Republican or Democrat. Well, again this year, in what looks to be the one of the the most heated elections in decades, the candidates are taking the day to come together to demonstrate unity; something that both candidates are saying must happen if we want to 'change' or 'reform' America.

On Sunday September 7 around 10:00 pm, this was the big story as far as the election on BBC. It comes after a week of McCain's campaign being in the spotlight. Other than that particular article, others still surrounded McCain's speech at the RNC and the American economy.

The American economy is hurting right now. The headline on BBC is about the save that the US government just made to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. If you're in America, of course that would be a big deal. Those that live here in America have always heard that we're the leaders of the free world, but it shows no better than on a site where the target audience is Europe.

What happens in the American economy affects the rest of the world. In the article, they don't mention the election, but in the box designed for the election, there is an article about John McCain's speech. In that they do mention that McCain did not mention his lack of knowledge when it comes to the economy.

My question is, however, I know that McCain doesn't have the best history with the economy-- but no one has ever talked about how Obama does. Obama is known as a community activist, a young guy with lots of energy-- not experience--with the economy or otherwise.

I believe that the economy is a tough topic because there aren't a lot of people who really do understand how it works. The average American doesn't understand stocks or bonds, or what it means when the Dow Jones is down 2 points. I feel that this will be an issue that will continue to resurface throughout this election.

Take that, candidate!

2008-09-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Wednesday September 3, 2008-- The BBC, like most news sources were not talking about the issues. This week hasn't been about the issues. Yeah, they've been throwing around words like economy, global warming and Iraq War in the speeches, but this week the issues that the media have focused on has been Sarah Palin, her daughter and the Republican convention.

On Friday September 5, they made an article about the election at a glance. In this, the BCC showed what they really thought was important. That, of course, was 'trooper-gate'. It turns out that the ethics report will be in three weeks before previously thought (October 10). They also briefly mention where the candidates are this weekend; Michigan, Wisconsin, & Pennsylvania. They also talk about the current numbers, and how EXPERIENCE is affecting the vote. The BBC can say that this amount of Republicans feel that Sarah Palin has enough experience to run the country. It doesn't mention her record of reform, or Obama's Blueprint for change. No, instead, we look experience--in years, not accomplishments-- and character.

But is that a bad thing? I think about my aunt. She is a Republican. She is, not because she's rich, or because she hates paying taxes. She's a teacher in West Virginia; she is not rich. She wouldn't mind paying more taxes, if that's what our country needs. She's what was dubbed as a patriot after 9-11. She stood beside George Bush, and will still say that going to Iraq was the right thing to do. She does cling to her religion, and she looks at character when deciding on who to vote for. When Obama's preacher was discovered by the media, her decision had been made. Her beliefs were reinforced when things made it around the internet--i.e. when he misspoke and said he had been to 57 states, the same amount of the Islamic states that apparently attend the Islamic conference. She will vote for McCain because she doesn't believe in abortion; because she feels that disagreeing with the war is not appreciating the troops; because she believes that you should be able to keep your guns. She is a teacher; she has a four year degree, and is capable of thinking-- yet these issues (guns, abortion, and war), that probably won't matter within the next few years will be what decides her vote. Even though John McCain won't change these issues, she knows that their values line up. Because, really, we're already in Iraq. No president is going to jerk everyone out; we still have troops in South Korea. Since banning partial birth abortion, McCain nor Obama are likely to make great strides in this area; and no one wanted to take the riffles out of the trucks of the West Virginians.

I think that character is important, and it should be something that we look at when we elect a president. But like the economy and the environment, it is a part of the election; not THE election. Of course, each person decides how much each of these issues make up their decision, but it should not be up to the media to decide that character or speaking skills or charisma should be the deciding factors.

Now that we're passed the conventions, I hope that we get to really focus on more of the meat; actual issues. I feel that the Republicans have focused on character, and that maybe that has further lead the media into this direction. I look forward to seeing how the BBC looks at the debates coming up.

Head for cover! John McCain attacks!

2008-09-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Okay! So I take back what I said about I said about the BCC being down the middle. You learn in any basic journalism class that you say what you mean. Avoid emotionally charged words-- unless you mean them. I've been keeping my browser on www.bbc.co.uk, watching the headlines fly by. Today, the headline of the website read,

"McCain attacks media over Palin"

Really? Attacks, does he? Apparently, the GOP candidate speared some guy holding a pencil and paper for hounding his campaign about not thoroughly researching his VP candidate. Hmm. Wait! No? They released a statement condemning the media for questioning the process in which he picked his VP. It was a statement? You mean the senator didn't hit anyone? Or body slam the guy with the camera?

It couldn't be that he did research and accepts that his VP candidate doesn't live the perfect life. Maybe she doesn't like her ex-brother-in-law. Maybe she has a teenage daughter who is sexually active. Maybe she has a child that has Down syndrome. Maybe she's an American mom, who deals with life.

The BBC later went on to say that her husband, Todd, was part of a group that thought about seceeding from the union, and also that she has hired a lawyer in the case of 'trooper-gate'. Both of these would require little effort on the part of the journalist to get the full story. Instead, the BBC will leave it at that, making it appear that Palin is guilty of some crime, or that her husband doesn't support America. Anyone familiar with politics knows that the lawyer is probably a technicality, and that her husband would not allow or encourage his son to join the miltary if he didn't want to be part of the United States of America.

I hope to see how things play out over the weekend, especially AFTER Sarah Palin speaks tonight at the RNC.

You down w/ BBC?

2008-09-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

So, the BBC, or British Broadcasting Company... liberal? conservative? perhaps right down the middle? Although you'll find reports (actually opinionated blogs) claiming that it may be a little left of center, I feel that this is one of the few news sources that are actually fair and balanced.

I remember being in England, and watching the daily news. There was no commentary-- no emotion-- hardly any emphasis on words during the news. It was facts laid out. They didn't find it necessary to speculate .

One downside of the BBC is that, without satellite, I don't get the BBC channel, and on the site, you can't watch what they are actually reporting because the media is only supported in Europe. I thus, had to decide from the webpage whether or not this site leaned one way or another. There were a few exceptions on YouTube. Here for example, is the coverage that they used 11 years ago when covering the Princess Diana tragedy:

This same story in America would have come with interviews, and possibly trying to get statements

I don't think that sensationalizing news is something that only America faces, but I do think that the media is far less imposing in Europe, allowing the public to make their own judgments. It's no secret, however, that, like most of the world, most of Europe and Australia (as I discovered last summer) aren't pleased with how things are going in Iraq, or with the Bush Administration. Over the next 15 weeks, we'll see if the BCC changes-- or if it will be the place for unbiased news.

Obama a year ago

2008-08-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

One year ago, Obama was preparing for the long election road ahead. He was under some heat for some comments about the war (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/14/AR2007091402254_pf.html). This seemed to be a very important at this time, and probably because the economy was not in the situation that we're currently seeing. Gas prices were almost an entire dollar lower than it is today (http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_home_page.html). However, the war was not the only discussion taking place, and the media was not the only audience.

While he was doing nothing less than starting a movement, really grabbing the attention of a younger demographic than those that are usually tapped for a presidential election in America, he was also grabbing the attention of International officials. In addition to angering the Pakistan-American community in Chicago, he also moved top Pakistan officials into releasing a statement saying, "As the election campaign in America is heating up we would not like American candidates to fight their elections and contest elections at our expense." (http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32569005_ITM). Obama has been the center of controversy since he announced his intention to run, ranging from being a terrorist, to a terrorist fist bump, to not having enough experience. These controversies have done nothing but continued to fuel his popularity and energy.

A year ago, many Americans, myself included, never thought that this would be the year that a women or African American would have a serious chance at becoming the next president. At this point in the election, it seems inevitable and exciting. Obama is a man who went up against every possible challenge imaginable in an election (being a terrorist, being a minority, & fighting the 'Clinton Machine'), and thus far, been victorious. I did not foresee this current situation a year ago.

McCain a year ago

2008-08-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

One year ago, John McCain was seen by the public to be an decorated POW & Vietnam War Veteran who was a little left from his Republican peers. He had been known as a maverick, making decisions based on logic and truth, but had began to be doubted by the public when defending President Bush and the Iraq war (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071000759_pf.html). Some of that controversy was sparked when Bush said that having a timeline to be out of Iraq could not be done, and McCain supported that decision.

Also, at this time last year, the media was looking at the trouble that he was having fund raising, and really talking up Giuliani and Romney's campaign, as well. He was not a far right conservative, as Romney is, but also not as liberal as Giuliani. He was, however, without a doubt the expert on foreign affairs, and had the experience in Washington. Despite his experience with foreign affairs, and decorated war status, he was still making cuts to his campaign staff (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/03/us/politics/03cnd-mccain.html?ex=1184040000&en=ebc79dc2166baf13&ei=5099&partner=TOPIXNEWS).

He was still in the running, but was being slightly overshadowed, at least in the media by Mayor Giuliani and Governor Romney. Republicans thought that McCain would be a more moderate candidate. They may turn out to be correct, as there are several Hillary supporters who are voting Republican this election day. It's hard to imagine that a year a go, he was just trying to get the Republican nomination, and today those that were running against him are endorsing him; some in hopes of the VP seat, and others in hopes that Republicans stay in the oval office.