"Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End"


Well today's reaches the last day of the Fall '06 semester, the end of MCOMM 72 and the end to this blog. ( *gasps* I'm still debating whether I should keep this or not) This class was interesting to say the least and of course useful. I did not know what to except at first and assumed it'll be the same old typical class filled with the never ending power point lectures. I was wrong. Sure, we had power point lectures, but at least it was engaging enough to create intellectual discussions instead of students talking notes like a mad man. What about these nifty blogs. I won't lie, at first the idea of the blog was not my cup at tea and at times during the semester I would question the point of it, but that has all changed. Now, I know more than a thing or two about HTML, shared my opinions to the whole wide web, threaten with a lawsuit case, and most importantly I am more aware of the media. Take for example my December 6 post about Bank of America. Before taking this class, I probably would have brushed it off this news and wouldn't care for it. Now, I find myself questioning like is it right for people to post videos on YouTube without their consent? Perhaps it might ruin bank's reputation. Should YouTube be charged with libel or should the person who posted the video of Bank of America should?

I am a Political Science major with a minor in Public Relations still deciding what I really want to do with it, but that's another story. Anyways, so before talking this class I wasn't really was interested or concerned about media. That's all changed after this course. Now, I find it important and perhaps even vital that people should know what's going out there not because to be aware, but to further educate yourself by researching and analyzing. Hey, isn't this what college is all? Educating yourself and voicing your opinions out. That's what I took out of this class, finding my voice and being able to share it not only the to professor, class, but the world itself.

Well, enough of that, so what kind of media consumer did I turn out to be at the end of all this. Well a more concern consumer. I actually really care about what's going on in the world, and I guess it makes me feel a little bit more intellectual I suppose. Furthermore, I am definitely more of a media consumer than the beginning of this semester.

Anyways, reading other student's blog in this class, many are doing their "Thank yous." Instead of doing my Thank yous to certain people, I would like to thank the following television show, blog, website, music and movie. Thanks for making me a media whore this semester.

Nip/Tuck


Thanks for the great season! I really enjoyed all episodes filled with violence, sex, drugs and drama!

PerezHilton.com


Thank you for keeping me updated with celebrities and their crazy lives. I really needed to know that Britney Spears was not wearing underwear when she got out of her car.

Damien Marley


Your music is an inspiration. Thank you for being so talented and lyrically gifted. Your songs got be through this crazy semester.

Facebook
Thank you for being the new MySpace. Special thanks for making me currently addicted to your web site.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan


Thanks for the laughs, I never knew a reporter from Kazakhstan could be so damn entertaining.

Bank of America = U2 "One?"

According to the New York Times, the two companies that recently merged together (MBNA & Bank of America) decided to celebrate their new deal with a song. Ethan Chandler, a regular Joe who works for banking center manager sang a song about Bank of America which found to be lyrically similar to U2's song "One." The video of this performance was soon later posted online. Many in the online world started to see the so called distinct similarities between the two songs. Thus far, Universal Music Publishing and along with lawyers are pressing charges for the B of A song's breaking allegedly breaking copyright laws. Although some say the video was a marketing ploy, but Ms. Weinberger denies the allegations and said it was "absolutely not" a marketing strategy.

I decided to take a look at the lyrics of B of A and U2's One and found one verse similar

B of A
It is even better
Now that we’re the same
Two great companies come together
Now, MBNA is B of A

U2's One
Is it getting better?
Or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you now?
You got someone to blame

Well oh well, it does seem pretty damn close.

Ethan Chandler should have given U2 some credit and said I'm doing my own version of the U2 One song. At least it wouldn't look like he was "stealing" it. I really don't think Ethan Chandler did anything wrong nor do I think it was a Bank of America publicity stunt. You see so many videos posted up online especially on YouTube of people doing their own version of song or changing up some artist's song , yet they don't seem to get slam with violations of copy right laws. Probably because these big companies and lawyers don't want to waste their time and energy and won't get any profit in doing so!

Now looking at this situation through the eyes of the music companies and artisits, I can see why they are angry 1) Someone's artisitic work is being stolen and used without permission2) Bank of America could pontential gain some publicity or revenue for the song/video

Bank of America is huge corporation and to me, the only reason they're even being filed with copyright lawsuit is because they have money and Universal Music Publicity is simply looking for them to cough up some extra "cash money."

Cough Medicine, the new drug?

Yesterday, I went to Target to purchase a bottle of Robitussin. To my surprise, I was asked by the cashier for my year of birth and identification before purchasing. I gladly gave the cashier my id, but was utterly confused. Why would I need to carded to purchase a bottle of cough medicine? I decided to ask the cashier and was informed that minors are not allowed to purchase cough medicine containing Dextromethorphan because many underage people are abusing it to get "high."

This issue has been around for some quite time dating back all the way to the 1950s. So why is it such a big deal now? Well its a huge concern due to that fact that its being used more and more especially young teens in middle school. According to the U.S. poison control centers, it logged nearly 4,000 calls related to abuse of cough medicine a year. Here's an example of one of the 4,000 who decided to take the chance of abusing it and of course posting it on YouTube. He's definitely hardcore especially because he's talking shots of Robitussin



Minors can't purchase cough medicine? Yes that's right. Currently, certain stores such as Walmart and Target have outlawed selling cough medicine to minors. Such states include, Georgia, New York, and Ohio.

I think this is an important issue and I definitely support stores such as Target and Walmart to prohibit the selling to minors. California has already outlawed selling spray paint, etching fluid, glue and dietary supplements containing ephedrine to minors and is cough medicine next? Maybe. If it is, will it really end the drug problem? Nope, because any person can open their parent's medicine cabinet and find some cough medicine. Hey, at least by banning it, we can help the situation.