My first true mash up! I did this for my Desktop Production Level II class. They wanted a 2:30 minute mix. They provided ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’ by the Eurythmics and I was allowed to mix it with any song of my choosing. I chose to mash it with Nicky Romero’s new track ‘I’m Still The Same Man’. I also had to add in some of my own loops/FXs. I Spent about six hours on it, this was the end result.
When a boy fell in love with music…
If someone were to ask me to pick my musical icon, I would proudly answer Michael Jackson. When I was a boy I grew up listening to classic rock and country tunes in the backseat of my parents car. At that time, this was the only music I knew. I’ll never forget the first time I saw a Michael Jackson video on MTV. It was his Bad video and it seemed so out of this world, so larger than life. From that moment on I was hooked! It was so different from everything else that I had heard up until that point. My mother told me that this was pop music. I asked her what exactly pop music meant, she told me, “Well, it’s popular!” I had no idea what she meant, but I thought I had found the holy grail of music. He was my first true source of musical inspiration.
The obsession only grew! The first album I got was a hand-me-down of Thriller from my uncle. PYT, Beat It, and The Girl Is Mine were my favorites, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t play that album forwards and backwards, over and over again. The next album I got was Dangerous for my eighth Birthday. To this day it is still my personal favorite Michael Jackson album. It was like magic, something I just couldn’t get enough of. I would dance (when no one was watching) to the whole album in my room. The album was stuck on repeat for well over a year. During this time I also stalked MTV for any and all MJ videos. I think Michael defined the medium. He gave each single life with a clever, generally over-the-top music video. Those videos showcased Michael’s creativity, story telling and perfectionism.
For most, the bottom fell out soon after. I was around nine years old when the allegations of child abuse came out. I refused to believe any of it and stood by my hero! It wasn’t easy, a lot of other people thought I was weird. I guess what pulled me through was his music. Personally I never believed Michael was ever sexually motivated. What I saw was a person who had a strong passion for music and big heart. A person who could be easily misunderstood.
I continued to collect Michael Jackson albums and singles. History came out in 1995, his first release post allegations. That album showed a different Michael. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it was clear that something changed. I guess the best way I can put it is anger. I never saw that side to him before, but he expressed his anger clearly through that album. The first single was Scream, it was supported with a multi-million dollar video and ad campaign. At the time, it was a record-breaking budget for a video. Scream went to number one on the Billboard top 100. I was happy that even with all the allegations, he could still reach the top (at least then I knew I wasn’t the only one listening to him). History produced a few more singles, but it was never quite the same.
Another long break before we got his next album in 2001, Invincible. Another album filled with mix emotions. Although the album made it to number one, none of the singles had the same sort of impact as once before. The album did much better internationally. Perhaps something that pulled away attention from the album were further accusations of child abuse. This time Michael didn’t settle. In 2004 Michael went to court, fought back and, in one of the most conservative districts in California, Michael was unanimously declared innocent on all accounts. I was so happy for him! At times I wish this is what he would have done back in 1992 instead of settling out of court. After this I truly hoped for a refocus on music. Sadly that never came to be.
After years of rumors regarding his financial stability and parenting skills, fans finally got some music related news in 2008. Michael was going to put on a final tour called This is It. I was incredibly disappointed that the shows were only taking place in London, but there were strong hints that he would bring the show to North America if it were a success. I remember reading sites online and looking for YouTube videos of concert rehearsals. The show was an instant sell out! Fast forward to June 25, 2009, I’ll never forget that day. I was working at an at&t kiosk in the Mall of America when someone came up and stated quite simply, “Did you hear? Michael Jackson has been rushed to the hospital! They think he’s dead!” I couldn’t believe it, my heart sank. It was so unreal. I remember driving home that night and I swear, each and every radio station seemed to be paying homage.
Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. That was certainly the case in regards to Michael. The whole industry felt a sense of loss, a gaping hole that will never be filled. I’m disappointed that I never got to see him live. I also find it sad how 2001’s Invincible would be the last album that he would see completed. Such a loss! Looking back, its easy for me to say that he had a huge impact on me not only musically, but also in my character. Michael was a fantastic role model for me and I only wish I got the chance to share that with him. To let him know that at least I didn’t care about the rumors and gossip, I cared about the character and talent. He made me fall in love with dance music, a passion that lives deep in me to this very day. Many of today’s musicians label him as their inspiration, much like myself. I only hope that I can do something in my lifetime that can give back to his legacy!
Capcom Interested In More Disney Remasters, Chip N’ Dale Next?
I swear, Capcom is rebooting my childhood!
Rey Jimenez, DuckTales Remastered producer, has hinted that if sales for the game meet expectations then Chip n’ Dale would be what he describes as the next logical step. Jimenez says that the work Capcom put into getting approval from Disney to remaster the game could lead to future remastered releases of other classic Capcom-Disney projects. These games could include Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck and Aladdin.
“In a purely hypothetical world. I think Chip n’ Dale would be the next logical one. It makes sense because it’s the next in the hierarchy.”
Google’s Powerful ‘Flawgic’
This article took the words right out of my mouth. After selling phones for almost five years, I completely agree with this brilliant ‘flawgic’ argument. To be fair, I never really cared for Google to begin with. To me they’re just the new Micro$oft (maybe even worse).
Editorial: Google’s Android powered by remarkable new ‘Flawgic’
Google’s Android platform is powered by a novel technology that transcends conventional hardware and software. And just as Android hardware and software has looked to Apple for inspiration, this compelling new “flexibly adaptive logic” is also related to something that first originated within Apple.
Flexibly adaptive logic, or “Flawgic,” allows the Android platform to terminate any sort of criticism before it can affect how the system performs. Flawgic is neither hardware nor software; it’s installed directly into public mindshare via a virus spread by talking heads.
Initially, the critical shield of Flawgic was virtually identical to “being in beta,” a formerly negative trait that Google turned into a positive by associating it with cool new experiments (like Google Maps) that deserved a lot of credit simply for existing.
While “being in beta” excused some of the warts of Google’s freeware products and services, Flawgic takes this to the next level. Flawgic allows every new Android-based product (or anything else Google does) a pass in every respect: appearance, usability, features, reliability, a target market, even sustainable profitability as a product.
If Apple were to release a cheap iPhone that cost $50 or a luxury one that cost $2.000, it would receive intense scrutiny in either direction. The cheap version would be derided as flawed and worthless, while the expensive version would be laughed at for being ludicrously priced.
Flawgic allows low end Android products to be hailed as volume sales generators, even if they are terrible products in every way. But it also does double-duty in allowing Google’s insanely priced devices, from Glass to Chromebook Pixel, to escape serious criticism of their inherently poor overall value or the likelihood of their ever selling in meaningful volumes.
It’s really that powerful. Here’s a look at how it works.
The copycat road to Flawgic’s emergence
Like many Google innovations, Flawgic is an adaption of the work of others, of whom it gives little or no credit. Google’s first product, Web search, was going nowhere until the company realized it could monetize search results with paid placement — something Overture had already developed and owned the rights to. Google was sued for copying Overture, but eventually settled the matter with 2.7 million shares of Google stock.
Google’s other major initiative, Android, was originally Oracle’s Java platform. Literally! When Google acquired Android, the project was an implementation of Java on Linux, just as its predecessor Danger was (both projects were co-founded by Andy Rubin).
Sun’s J2ME Mobile Java platform had flaws and problems, so Google set up addressing these, resulting in its own “Android” that it deemed to be just different enough from Java to avoid paying Sun (and Sun’s eventual owner, Oracle) anything for its rejiggering of the Mobile Java platform.
Google and Oracle are still locked in a legal squabble over the matter, but regardless of that case’s outcome, it’s clear that the power of Google’s Flawgic is evolving. Google isn’t just getting better at copying other’s DNA; it has developed a new gene that allows it to copy without having to pay anything for it afterward!
The evolution of Flawgic
This new trait sets it apart from earlier, primitive forms of corporate copycats such as Microsoft, which paid out many hundreds of millions of dollars to all the companies it illegitimately copied or wronged in other ways.
After launching Android, Google realized that it had targeted the wrong smartphone products (Blackberry and Windows Mobile) when Apple’s very different iPhone arrived in 2007. Google then went to work adding value to Android by taking value directly from Apple’s iOS.
This process wasn’t entirely shameless, as Google often had to criticize its partners, most famously Samsung, for taking things too far in their exact reproductions of every Apple product, right down to the design of icons, accessories and even packaging materials.
One Android tablet from Samsung was so overtly infringing of Apple’s iPad that Google actually asked Samsung to change the design slightly. Despite the well documented nature of this infringement, Flawgic kicked in and explained that what had really occured was that Apple had sued Samsung over rounded corners, because, well, Apple was an asshole.
Putting the F&A in Flawgic
A second gene had evolved! Now, rather than just avoiding any payment for copying other’s work, Google could paint any effort to stop infringement as a victimization. Google wasn’t wrong in copying, it was being wronged after copying, according to Flawgic.
Never mind why Apple didn’t sue everyone else over “rounded corners,” nor bother to ask yourself why Apple would sue its largest components source over something with such little substance — if you have Flawgic installed, you don’t need to think. Flawgic does it for you. Flawgic says Apple sued Samsung over rounded corners, so it must be true.
Google then shared the Flawgic gene with Samsung, so that even as Judge Koh stripped Apple’s case down, Samsung could build up a retaliatory bullshit case of infringement via Flawgic. Now, instead of just not having to pay for infringement and looking victimized by Apple for infringing upon it, Samsung could make the case that it was actually the one being infringed here.
Samsung is working so hard to convince judges and juries worldwide that it is being infringed upon by Apple that it has asserted over 25 standards essential patents so far. Never mind that it has lost or withdrawn each of these, and failed to make any progress in enforcing any of its non-standards essential patents. In the other direction, it has actually lost ground in multiple cases that determined it was indeed a serial patent infringer.
But Flawgic remains ever optimistic that Samsung’s patent indiscretions will go away for less than $400 million, the price Google paid to resolve its Overture infringement. In that case, Google ultimately onlyrecorded a charge of around $260 million for copying Overture, and it realized an income tax benefit of more than $100 million for doing so. With this sort of powerful Flawgic in play, who’d want to live under the tedious, restrictive rule of law?
Google’s “get out of jail free” gene doesn’t seem to be working as well at Samsung, but who knows? Maybe Judge Koh will just nullify the whole case and eventually order Apple to pay Samsung for being a dick. Never underestimate the power of Flawgic.
Putting the FLAW in Flawgic
At the same time, Google has also adapted others’ work in ways that are so extensive that they no longer resemble the original. Buzz, Google’s copy of Twitter, was so terrible in its privacy robbing that nobody wanted to use it. Google +, Google’s copy of Facebook, is so nerdy nobody outside of the company uses it. Google Play, Google’s copy of the iOS App Store, is so flawed in its security and curation that developers haven’t paid it any real attention.
Flawgic takes this sort of “downward copying” to a whole new level. It then turns around and excuses itself with complex explanations that branch and turn, even contradicting themselves in crazy loops. Up is down, failure is success, and the success of others is not only failure, but disgusting. This ugly virus appears to have started out being much more benign.
Back in the early 1980s, developers working under Steve Jobs on the original Macintosh project noted how he could passionately convince seemingly anyone of the impossible. When they reached a dead end, Jobs could press them to do things that nobody else saw as practical or sensible. Jobs’ wild, unbounded optimism and persuasive, charismatic charm became known as his “Reality Distortion Field.”
Apple’s fiercest critics happened upon mention of this “RDF” and repurposed the phrase in the most vitriolic, hateful way to instead suggest that Jobs was actually a cunning charlatan who deceived everyone with a malicious form of dark mind control fraud. Very rapidly, RDF shifted from a term of endearment to a scathing criticism.
Into the 1990s, anyone who dared to buy an Apple product rather than a DOS PC (with more RAM, or the unique ability to install an ISA card!) was instantly branded a “Kool-Aid drinking fanboy under the delusion of the Apple RDF.”
The “Kool-Aid” part, incidentally, is a reference to the Jonestown Massacre, an atrocity committed by an insane conman who, in the late 1970s, incited a religious following of many impressionable young people, led them to a cult compound and, just as the media began investigating his criminal predatory behavior, fed his captives poisoned drinks, killing 918 innocent people. The event was the “most deadly single non-natural disaster in U.S. history” until September 11, 2001.
Which, if you think about it with Flawgic, is a lot like selling people a computer when there are cheaper alternatives available. Without Flawgic, comparing Steve Jobs or Apple to Jim Jones’ murderous, predatory cult is purely disgusting and insulting to humanity.
Flawgic’s answers for tough questions
Google, potentially inadvertently, stumbled upon RDF, perhaps early in the development of Android. After all, the original Android startup’s founder Andy Rubin, who earned the nickname “android” while working at Apple, likely had some exposure to the notion of “RDF” while getting started as an intern at the Mac maker in the mid 1990s.
Somewhere along the line, Flawgic developed as a combination of shifting explanations and excuses that could explain away any criticisms. It was like RDF, but rather than emanating from an individual, it radiated out of the hive mind of the open source community that had adhered to Android. It actually helped Android to make sense as a project.
Why would various hardware makers adopt Android and give up control over their own proprietary platforms in the smartphone world? According to Flawgic, duh! Never you mind! BlackBerry, Nokia, Motorola, Palm and HTC would either adopt Android or go away. Those that adopted Android did go away, at least in profitability, but Flawgic only looks forward, forgetting the past as a matter of principal.
HTC went from being a prominent and rapidly growing Windows Mobile vendor to being a destitute failure. Motorola abandoned Linux to exclusively support Android, and is now imploding as it loses millions each quarter — even after it was acquired by Google! This isn’t a problem, it’s a feature, according to Flawgic. Motorola isn’t failing, Google is just playing it safe in not showing Motorola any special favors.
Perhaps Google happened upon the true power of Flawgic in the $12.5 billion catacombs of Motorola’s “12.5 thousand issued patents and 7,500 patent applications.” If so, it seems to be the only thing that could actually be put to use.
In contrast, Blackberry, Nokia and Palm all desperately tried to remain relevant without adopting Android. They, too, have plunged from their original positions as smartphone leaders, but not due to Android’s success.
Palm simply ran out of cash trying to develop webOS as a response to iOS. It was ultimately bought up by HP and then sold off to LG, as a way for that company to differentiate its TVs from a glutted market of Android-based smart TVs that simply aren’t selling. Android’s Google TV failure? Flawgic has no answer to that one, but who cares? Nobody’s asking for one.
Blackberry and Nokia have similarly set out to remain quasi-independent, with Blackberry buying up QNX and Nokia partnering with Microsoft, both clear responses to iOS. Both efforts have failed to gain any traction so far, and Flawgic would tell you that Android’s amazing success was a key reason for this. But recall that Blackberry proposed adding Android support to its PlayBook OS, without sparking any real interest.
The only global smartphone maker that can even claim to have been helped toward profits by Android is Samsung. But LG and Sony, two companies that are close enough to Samsung to serve as a control group, haven’t similarly benefitted from Android in the least. In reality, the key to Samsung’s success was ripping off Apple’s designs, advertising, software, marketing and packaging so closely so as to cast a Apple halo over its offerings. Samsung isn’t selling Android; it’s selling iOS knockoffs.
Flawgic is never right, but never apologizes
Flawgic tells us that Android is helping Samsung to beat Apple at its own game. But that’s not happening. Samsung was well established when Apple entered the smartphone business. Back then, Samsung’s offerings were being powered by simple embedded software and by Mobile Java/Linux, the precursor of Android. Samsung was beaten silly by the iPhone just as Blackberry, Nokia, Palm, LG and Sony were. The only company of those to recover was the one that mostly closely copied Apple.
The reality is that Samsung continues to sell mostly low end, cheaper devices that mostly run a really old version of Android. They might as well be Java/Linux phones, as they don’t do anything. They don’t runmany apps, they don’t browse the Web much, they don’t really do anything but contribute to large volumes of sales that don’t result in much profit.
But according to Flawgic, these “neo-feature phones” create a vast Android army that will at some point create a critical mass that will shift software development and enterprise adoption from iOS to Android. This is widely believed even though Samsung is plotting to replace Android with its own Tizen version of Linux (so that, like Nokia and Blackberry back in the day, it can own its own platform and not need to compete against everyone else with the same software platform). According to Flawgic, this is good news for Android, for Samsung, and for Google, in some way.
Flawgic is very confident about this, and doesn’t take any criticism, so don’t try to offer any.
Instead, it directs your attention to all the flaws of Apple. The glass back of iPhone 4 is so fragile! And in 2010, the phone still doesn’t even have LTE, nor did it (initially) work on Verizon. Fast forward to the present and Google’s new Nexus 4 has a glass back and no LTE, nor does it work on Verizon. But no worries, it’s awesome! And I can live with the flaws, thanks to my mountain moving faith in Flawgic.
Flawgic is confident in the face of failure
Flawgic sees no threats or challenges for Android going forward. This child soldier type of mentality allows it to pursue forward with unbridled optimism and courage. In 2010, Flawgic predicted that Android on Verizon would obliterate the iPhone. But as soon as the iPhone made it to Verizon, it obliterated Android, now taking up almost two thirds of all sales.
Flawgic predicted that Android 3.0 Honeycomb would obliterate the iPad, offering 3D views of YouTube movies all playing at once. Instead, Honeycomb melted down into a sticky mess. The few early adopters were stung with gear that was overpriced and underpowered. Two years later, Android is still amounting for a tiny slice of the tablet pie, despite all the Flawgic supporting its superiority.
Flawgic ignores the failure of the Samsung Galaxy Player and other failed iPod touch contenders, noting that music players don’t even matter anymore. Tell that to Apple, which is still selling most of the world’s MP3 players to smartphone and tablet buyers (who already have MP3 functionality). Pure Flawgic tells you that when Samsung sells a customer a hybrid tablet and phone, it’s a success, while when Apple’s customers buy an iPhone, iPad and an iPod touch it’s not really a sign of anything, most definitely not indicative of any sort of advantage held by iOS.
Flawgic studiously ignores the fact that iOS apps run across Apple’s devices, and that Apple regularly updates those devices for years after the initial purchase. Flawgic excuses the fact that no major Android licensee regularly updates the software on any of its existing products over more than a year or so, or that just because you have two Android products doesn’t mean they can necessarily run the same apps.
If, theoretically, any developers support Samsung’s new Knox layer of “SAFE” enterprise support in their apps, even customers who buy a new Galaxy S III phone won’t be able to run those “SAFE” apps on the Samsung tablet that AT&T gave them for free as part of the SAFE promotion, because those tablets aren’t actually safe to use in the enterprise. They are running plain old Samsung-flavored non-SAFE Android. Flawgic doesn’t care, because Flawgic is not really used in the enterprise anyway.
But Flawgic also asserts that Android will be rapidly adopted by the enterprise, if for no other reason than the bring-your-own-device trend. There you have it. Done, can’t argue with that.
By the way, have you heard Android is winning? It’s what all the Android police are saying. Must be the case. And by “winning,” we don’t mean in profitability or any other metric other than unit sales of products that often aren’t even officially reported in any useful way to provide comparison.
After all, Android tablets are as cheap as $30 in China! You can’t compete with that.
Flawgic has an answer for everything, and answers nothing. It’s like rose colored glasses where, after you put them on, you lose 20/20 hindsight.
Sharing and Collaboration in the Digital Age
Blog Assignment: Transformed Media Landscape – How is media transforming? We’ve had a number of conversations about the new collaborative nature of media, specifically about Clay Shirky talks on this idea as it relates to the notion of ‘cognitive surplus’. After viewing both of the required videos for this unit, pick one or two points from his presentations and write a blog on how you see yourself or society applying a more collaborative approach to media.
I hate to break it to the world, but I think we have run out of ideas. Hold on, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Think about it, we’re well over fifty years into this modern, mass consumption culture. I mean, how could this not happen? Now, let’s get past all that. Because once we do that we can then begin to learn from our past. What worked? What didn’t? What Inspired? What mistakes should we want avoid? How would we do it differently if given the chance?
I think the future of media is collaboration. Today its more about using one source of media to inspire something else. Don’t know what I am talking about? Watch an episode of Family Guy. The show is primarily made up of references to the past, while it’s also uniquely its own creation. Because I think, to be successful, this has to be something more than just simply making what’s old, new again.
I’m an avid EDM (Electronic Dance Music) fan and it’s in our culture to share a creation and have others remix it into something new and uniquely their own. It’s actually why I fell in love with the genre. I love how a big room anthem could be remixed into a lounge-y poolside song for the summer, or a tribal anthem for a pride event, or a tricked out dub step banger. Great things can be gained from collaboration, while the memorable moments of the past should be allowed to be future sources of inspiration.
Web Browser History
Blog Assignment: Internet History Blog – Write a blog that incorporates a bit of Internet/Web history. This could take many possible forms so feel free to be creative! Don’t think of it like an assignment to list the historical details. You could write a sweeping commentary on the history of it all, you could write a biography of an important personality, or break down for us the history of Google. Incorporate multimedia – think web literacy!
I present to you the complete, increasingly complex, history of the web browser… in a photo, yes one photo!
But seriously, the web browser has been around for a long time. It’s also come a long way since the days when dial-up modems reigned supreme! Today I am thankful that there is no one browser that dominates market share. 90’s was dominated by Netscape (unless you were using AOL or MSN), the turn of the millennium brought forth a decade dominated by Microsofts Internet Explorer (perhaps all those anti-trust lawsuits explain why?). Today it’s a race between Safari, Firefox, IE and Google’s Chrome. You know what they always say, variety is the spice of life!
CwF + RtB
Blog Assignment: Rise of the Mass – Read the forum post by Trent Reznor on the changing music industry as well as the article about making it as a New Artist. Write a blog on the article incorporating ideas presented in class: i.e. the transformed media landscape, methods of communication throughout history, etc.
Do you agree or disagree with Trent? Why? Why not?
I ran across this other blog that perfectly captures Trent Reznor’s whole CwF + RtB philosophy. I couldn’t agree more! The future isn’t about fighting your fans. The fight everyone should be focused on is our modern day short attention spans due to over saturation. The successes know how to become a brand, and that doesn’t mean selling out. A good brand should define exactly who you are! It’s important to take control of your message; what your about, how you want to come across, and what you’re looking to accomplish, etc. But remember, it’s not only getting people interested, its even more important (and difficult) keeping them interested!
If you have 15 mintues watch this presentation by Michael Masnick at this years MIDEM09. This is a perfect example of how a brands (NIN) can connect with their market by developing channels that are relevant and engaging. If only more companies took the time to truly understand their customer on this level.
Act H.R.347 (Guest Blog)
Hello America
It has recently been drawn to the attention among groups within social media as well as the ever reliable Fox News program that the government is restricting the first amendment rights of United States citizens. Signed in to legislature and overwhelmingly supported by both parties on January 3rd, 2012, act H.R. 347 has been declared unconstitutional in that it is, as Fox news analysts state, “[making] free speech a felony.” While I never aim to directly target any particular group, primarily one that relates with the majority of citizens as well as the hyper conservative tea party types, please allow me to politely tell these people to remove their heads from their asses. Knowing they probably can’t find the way out on their own, I’ll shine some light into the rectums of ambiguity.
Act H.R. 347 is an amendment to article 1752 of title 18 of the constitution regarding the act of protestation within restricted buildings or on restricted grounds. Part one deals with the barring of knowledgeable entrance of an individual onto restricted grounds or into a restricted area. Though I’m not one hundred percent sure of this, I would wager a large amount in the fact that entering and remaining in a restricted area also known as trespassing was already illegal. Not only that but I believe the right to own and protect private property is a big deal to my ultra conservative pals down at the tea party.
Following on this, part two of the amendment deals with the issue of intending to knowingly impede and disrupt government functions while on previously stated restricted grounds or within proximity such that is disrupts government conduct. “HA” you scoff, or at least you do in my head, you seem to think you’ve caught me. This statement clearly denies the right to assembly. Wrong. It denies the right to assemble in a manner that disrupts the orderly conduct of our government. It simply means if you’re gonna protest you can’t stand on the front lawn of the white house.
The thing that seams to be the issue is the government restricting the right to protest. This isn’t the case, all it does it enforce rules that were already in place. Protesters have never been allowed to protest in a disorderly, disruptive, or violent manner and trespassing laws have always been in place. Those who wish to claim, as Fox news has, that the government is unconstitutionally making the enforcement of these laws a felony, need to perhaps read act H.R. 347, for while it does state that the issue of protesting on restricted grounds may result in a fine, the actual acts in which the protestation becomes a felony are in regard to ending statements in which it is stated that no more than 10 years imprisonment may occur should a protester use or carry a deadly weapon or firearm during relations with protesting group or if the above offenses result in serious bodily injury. Both carrying and using a weapon during peaceful assembly and causing serious bodily injury are already illegal within the United States. The government has done absolutely nothing other than provide further protection for elected officials. Rather than lashing out as many of the conservative and tea party supporters have, perhaps more effort should be put into silencing the radical members of your group, for which these laws are designed to protect government officials from.
If the government wasn’t under threat of every AK47 toting moron, laws like this wouldn’t have to be put into effect. In conclusion your rights are not be denied. You can still go protest to your hearts content and you will be heard about the same amount as you were heard before. But for those who have taken this amendment as a serious movement by the government to enslave you, it may be wise to just stay home. As always I recommend that every citizen makes an effort to stay informed before they go flying off the handle as a result of everything the media throws at them. Journaling from Minneapolis, Minnesota, I’m Aaron Brandt, and this is the Brandt America.
For Resources regarding above topics follow the links,
Fox news broadcast
Act H.R. 347
Communicating With The Web
Blog Assignment: Web 2.0 has been called the “participatory web”. The web seems to urge us to interact and to create. We will begin following and commenting on each others blogs as a form of interaction. Throughout the rest of quarter you will read these blogs and continue to comment.
This is something I do each and every day, from when I wake up to when I go to bed… I have always loved the internet because it allows me to connect and communicate with others. I do about 90% of my communication through facebook. I also read and comment on a large variety of blogs online:
I not only get information from these blogs, I also get to meet and communicate with people who hold similar interests to my own. The internet today is more social then ever and I couldn’t be happier!
Jaron Lanier
Blog Assignment: Read material regarding Web 2.0. Read selections from You Are Not A Gadget available in the library or find information about Jaron Lanier online blog about what you read. Rather than writing a school report, simply strive to find an interesting part of the article and comment on it.
You Are Not a Gadget (2010) In his book You Are Not a Gadget (2010), Lanier criticizes the hive mind of Web 2.0 (wisdom of the crowd) and describes the open source and open content expropriation of intellectual production as a form of “Digital Maoism”.[14] Lanier argues that Web 2.0 developments have retarded progress and innovation and glorified the collective at the expense of the individual. He criticizes Wikipedia and Linux as examples of this problem; Wikipedia for its “mob rule” by anonymous editors, the weakness of its non-scientific content, and its bullying of experts. Lanier also argues that there are limitations to certain aspects of the open source and content movement in that they lack the ability to create anything truly new and innovative. For example, Lanier makes the observation that the open source movement didn’t create the iPhone, but it did create Android. In another example, Lanier claims that Web 2.0 makes search engines lazy, destroys the potential of innovative websites like Thinkquest, and hampers the communication of ideas like mathematics to a wider audience. Lanier further argues that the open source approach has destroyed opportunities for the middle class to finance content creation, and results in the concentration of wealth in a few individuals—”the lords of the clouds”—people who, more by virtue of luck rather than true innovation, manage to insert themselves as content concentrators at strategic times and locations in the cloud.
What a crock of BS! I’m sorry but I just don’t agree. Generally, as things improve, they tend to become less complicated and more simple. In my opinion, this is not a bad thing. Because technology is becoming simpler to use, it also becomes much accessible. Now Grandma, who previous vowed to never touch a computer, has no issue using her smartphone. The smartphone doesn’t intimidate her, allowing her to get past her fears and, in the end, find ways to better her connection to others.
One is still able to get as nerdy as they like, with they’re operating system of choice. But don’t chastise technology (and its future as a whole) simply because you think it should stay alienated for the true nerds out there.
outwardthoughts 