Who Said Life is Fair?

The recent bus attacks in Baltimore are quite alarming. What is even more alarming is that the victims of these attacks are white. Yes, you heard me right, these people are WHITE! Black people are now attacking white people. WHO KNEW?

The talk show hosts on Baltimore's AM stations are trying to stir the pot and want the general public to be infuriated by these incidents. But they have not be very successful. It seems people are afraid to call in and express their opionions, as if they have been scared into submission and acceptance!

We all know that if the vistims were black and their attackers were white, this would be a much different story. People would be so up in arms, protests would occur, and the NAACP would hop on their high horse and damn the entire white race.

Apparently, the bus drivers in both of these cases have been fired because they never stopped the bus, nor did they kick the attackers off. I am happy to see some action has been taken, but it's scary to think this story isn't getting nearly as much play as it would if the races were reversed.

What's with the Last Name of "Peterson"

One of the most fascinating stories in the news lately is that of Drew Peterson and his alleged involvement in the deaths of his third and fourth wives. He is intriguing; he truly believes that putting his story on TV will prove his innocence when most of the country as already labeled him GUILTY.

Peterson reminds me of some other men, namely Scott Peterson (what a coincidence there) & O.J. Simpson, who have been accused of killing their wives. Do we really believe that his third wife's cause of death was accidental drowning? Does he really seem that upset at the recent disappearance of his fourth wife? And can we stop here for a moment and ask why his forth wife is 20 years his junior? I think Drew Peterson is as guilty as sin. I've seen multiple interviews with the guy, and he lacks credibility. He can keep telling lies and he can keep avoiding the line of sight of the people who interview him, but he will get caught sooner or later. It's amusing to watch a guy who thinks he has everyone fooled when we all know he's sweating bullets and freaking out behind that blank face.

In the case of Scott Peterson, I actually believed that guy for a time. There was something about his eyes that caused me to trust him, and he looked so distraught over his wife's death. The logos, ethos, and pathos were all working together for me when I listened to Scott. It was gut-wrenching to find out the truth. I wanted it to be someone else, but I was gravely disappointed and realized I drastically misjudged his character.

We'll see what happens to good 'ol Drew. I hope they nail his ass to the wall...the evidence is mounting! To read more, click below.

Drew Peterson on the Today Show

Want a Caption?

Our class discussion last week focused on the relationship between words and images. Do photos really need a caption? Can pictures exist on their own? As a reader, do you feel the need to know what each image is all about? Some of us felt that captions were absolutely necessary. Others felt that words got in the way, tainting a particular photo.

Look at the examples provided and ask yourself whether or not a caption would be beneficial. These photos are some of the most famous in modern history and are ones we've all seen in one publication or another.

If a caption was added to either of these photos, would you feel more informed? Do you think these images beg for words? I believe each of these examples can stand alone. The only thing that may help is simply a "place & time" caption. Anything else would be extraneous. To see more famous images, visit: http://www.worldsfamousphotos.com.

Basketball is a Brotherhood?

Adidas has recently released a new line of print and television advertisements promoting basketball as a brotherhood. These spots feature players like Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett. What do all of these guys have in common? Besides the fact that they are all prominent stars in the NBA, they are also all African Americans.

Watch a sample advertisement courtesy of You-Tube: Basketball is a Brotherhood.

Let's play a game of "What If." What if Callaway released a commercial starring only white golfers with the tagline of "Golf is for Country Clubbers." Or even better, "Golf is for the Private School Crowd." The NAACP would be up in arms faster than you could scream, "FORE!"

I am certainly not proposing that Callaway begin production on a lilly white commercial targeted at the upper crust of our population, but I would like Adidas to consider the message they are sending with their advertisements. On one hand, I can see where they may want to reach out to African American teenagers and youth who should view basketball as a refuge or a sport in which they can feel a sense of community. But on the other hand, this completely elimates those white kids who may be looking for the same sense of belonging.

Honestly, Ellen...Cry Me a River

It seems that Ellen DeGeneres is rather surprised at the reaction she received from the public and the media when she went on national TV last week and cried until her eyes swelled shut. Why did she think she could use her talk show as a platform for a weepy apology regarding a small dog and little kids without any repercussions? Of course the public is going to react! Are you kidding? The only thing that makes people more upset than a sad dog is a sad kid! Doesn't she know that? Clearly she underestimated her audience and their lack of sensibilities.

READ MORE HERE

Hey, I love dogs like it's my job, and I'm sure it was heartbreaking to hear that this dog had been taken away from a family. But couldn't Ellen have resolved this off-air? If she was really so sorry, couldn't she have just taken up her cause with the local SPCA. No. She had to use her position in the public eye to try and get an emotional response from her audience so the SPCA would look like the bad guy and, perhaps, cave to her demands.

The worst part about Ellen's approach is that it is sneaky, it's sly, and it's extremely transparent. Don't get up and say you are so sorry and you are absolutely innocent, and you would do anything to get your dog back. All she cares about is protecting her good name while trying to make herself look good.

I was an Ellen fan, but now she just seems as conniving as the rest...

Spreading the Good Word

On October 14th, Joel Osteen, the man behind Houston's Lakewood Church, was interviewed on CBS's 60 Minutes. On any given Sunday, over 7 million people worldwide tune in to his sermons to be inspired and motivated to make a change in their lives. Recently, prominent theologians have criticized Osteen's work and have said that he is deluding religion and is making a mockery of Christianity.

Below is a link to the interview:

60 Minutes Interview

After watching the full 11 plus minutes of this interview, I was struck by many things. First of all, the space in which Osteen preaches every week is an old basketball arena which he and his wife spent over $100 million to renovate. One hundred million dollars? Does this not seem a little excessive? I was blown away at what Osteen was willing to shell out for what he calls a life of health, wealth, and happiness. He teaches people to stay positive and to believe in the good Lord, for he will provide if you think happy thoughts. Misleading? I think so. Is he doing a disservice to his followers? He must be doing something right because the church raises over $43 million a year and gets an additional $30 million a year through the mail. But Osteen does draw the line somewhere. He never asks for money on TV. He waits to pass around huge silver buckets when the cameras are off...how Christian of him.

Think What You Want, Say What You Mean...Sometimes

The below link will take you to an intriguing article regarding our dear friend, Google.

http://www.news.com/2100-1023-963132.html

This country is obsessed with free speech and free thought, but at the same time, corporations, governmental agencies, and the like are trying to protect us from information that could be offensive or harmful. Why can't I make my own decisions? If I want to access a particular website or read a certain piece of literature, I should be allowed to do that. I certainly should not have to worry about info that is being swept under the carpet because someone else is supposedly looking out for my best interests. What a load that is.