SPOOKY TIME!!!!

Hello all,
It's that time of year again, my favorite time of year actually (well next to christmas).It's Halloween. I loved trick or treating as a kid and get to relive it all over again now with my own kids. And of course, cable tv is great now cause they show all the horror movies (even if they are edited).

That brings me to my question. What is your favorite Horror Movie. Tell me why it is your favorite. And why do you think we go see horror movies. Even if you don't like them, tell me why you think others go see them. And by the way, here's a good scare for you (not for those with a heart condition).

Is there a place for satire in Congress?

Recently, Stephen Colbert was asked to testify before Congress regarding undocumented immigrants working in America. Colbert participated in an event where Americans were asked to come work in a job that was typically done by illegal immigrants. Colbert worked in a field for a day. Since Colbert was one of only a few that participated, he was asked to talk about his experience.

But Colbert, being a comedian, turned the table. He chose to speak in character, as the pompous blowhard commentator he is on his show. He wrote his testimony the night before and handed it over to the committee. Many were upset that he was going to speak "in character." Both democrats and republicans stated it was inappropriate. Some however did not have a problem with it.

So here's my question. Even though Colbert's testimony was, on its face, part of a comedic act, is there value in what he did? Or was it a waste of time? His celebrity certainly brought out the cameras. Many congressional members said there were more cameras there than normal.

For clips of the event, click here.

What's Your Opinion

So, TV Azteca reporter, Ines Sainz, has been in the headlines lately regarding harassment in the NY Jets locker room. I'd like you to read some of the following articles and watch some of the following videos and give me your opinion. One key point in the whole debate is whether Sainz should have expected the football players to make the rude comments they did given the way she dresses when attending practices. Read the following link describing the incident. It includes what Sainz calls a typical outfit she wears to practice.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/12/ines-sainz-azteca-jets_n_713843.html

Some have commented that she should expect such things when she dresses that way. Here are some comments made backing that opinion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/16/brian-baldinger-ines-sainz_n_719745.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/17/jenn-sterger-ines-sainz_n_719960.html

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/09/rush-limbaugh-ines-sainz-bootylicious/1

Yet some argue that regardless of her dress, Sainz does not deserve to be treated without respect in the locker room. For an example, watch the following.

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201009190010

So what is your opinion on all this? Who was to blame for the incident? Should Sainz have to dress more modestly at practices? Or were the football players out of line?

New Survey Results

The Pew Center recently released the results of their study on the people and the press. I'd like you to read the overview, which can be found here. I'd like you to post with two findings that you thought were surprising and what social implications could result from them.

Was Fox Wrong?

So, even though I try not to talk about Fox News all the time, I pick on them often. There's a host of reasons but probably the biggest one is that they are a ratings giant. They, head and shoulders, beat other news channels in the ratings. Therefore, they should be seen as the "flagship" for broadcast journalism. They set the bar.

Recently you may have heard about Fox's parent company donating $1 million to the republican governor's association. If not, you can read a quick bit about it here. I read the story last week but decided not to use it for the blog.

Then, another story surfaced showing that the Democratic Governor's Association was going to sue Fox for illegal campaign contributions. Apparently, Fox interviewed an Ohio gubernatorial candidate and allowed him to state where campaign contributions could be sent. This often happens on air. The big difference was that Fox showed a graphic revealing the candidate's website while the donation pitch was being made. The DGA claims that showing the graphic while the candidate was asking for money was basically free publicity amounting to nothing less than an advertisement. There were some other arguments made by the DGA as to why the interview should be considered an "in kind contribution" to the candidate. Read the full report here.

So here's my question. Do you think Fox is acting illegally? Do you think Fox is crossing an ethical line here in promoting republican candidates over democrats either through this latest claim or through the $1 million donation?

P.S. - please remember to write your name at the bottom of your post so i can tell who is who. Also, i've discovered that a spam filter on blogger has "zapped" some of your comments. If you are posting, but not seeing it online, please let me know so i can give credit and address the issue. Thanks.

An Invasion of Privacy?

Recently the LA Times published a list rating teachers on how well they prepared students for the California Standardized Test. The list was released online and immediately became hugely popular. Teachers, as represented by their union, complained that this ranking did not accurately reflect the quality of their work. The School district evaluates the teachers by using more than just that one measure. In other words, the teacher's effectiveness is not based solely on how well their students did on the tests. You can read about this story by clicking here. Many educators argue that the problem with schools today is that teachers are encouraged to teach children how to pass standardized tests while not necessarily focusing on a child's individual needs. Here's my question. Do you think it was an invasion of privacy for the Times to publish this list of individualized names? As a public employee, do the teachers' have an argument that their rankings should not be published? Are they justified in complaining that the story does not accurately reflect their effectiveness in the classroom? How would you feel if you were a government employee and details about your performance were released without your consent?

P.S. please sign your name at the end of the blog reply. I can't tell from some of your usernames who to give credit to. For example, in the last post i'm not sure who Bethann, David, Hunter, Emdaco, or Nick is. We have a couple of David's and a couple of Nick's. Please specify who you are under your reply.

Welcome to the Semester

Hello and welcome to the new semester. This week we start blogging assignments. Each week i'll post a topic and in two paragraphs i'd like you to respond. Every week you respond, you get 4pts. Over time those points will build. So here's the first blog

Dr. Laura, a popular talk radio host, announced recently that after several years she has decided to not renew her radio contract, effectively quitting radio. This comes on the heels of an incident where many accused her of being racist in regards to an incident where she used the "n" word in response to a caller's question.

This is not the first time her comments have gotten her in trouble. In the past, she has made remarks that infuriated homosexuals. That particular incident probably cost her a television show as well as losing several sponsors for her.

Dr. Laura claimed she is quitting radio to regain her first amendment rights. Read this article for her comments. The article also has links to her original radio comments as well as her apology and further commentary. What do you think about both her initial comments that got her into trouble and her reasoning for why she is leaving radio. Was she being racist, was the caller oversensitive, was she sincere in her apology?