So, in case you haven’t heard, the king of pop is dead. If you haven’t heard by now it means you probably haven’t watched television, listened to the radio, or spoken to another human being in a few days. The twenty-four hour news stations, who up until recently were providing non-stop coverage of the worsening situation in Iran, have decided to switch gears. For the past five days Jackson’s death has dominated the airwaves, with the investigation into his death, the mystery surrounding his personal doctor, and the tentative future of the Jackson family receiving exhaustive media attention.
Meanwhile, Honduras has undergone a military coup, Iran remains a dangerous place for democracy, the House passed a landmark energy bill, and US troops are preparing to pull out of all major cities in Iraq.
So what is it exactly about Michael Jackson’s untimely death that warrants so much coverage? Well, given that news has become an industry who’s very existence depends on ratings, I don’t think it’s hard to figure out why pop stars get more coverage that regime change and legislation. A lot of people listen to Michael Jackson’s music, he was a very influential entertainer, and so people will naturally be curious about his death and want to pay tribute to him by watching montages of his music videos on CNN.
But is this news? If the reason people are watching cable news is to learn about a celebrity they are already familiar with, than isn’t the news in this case reduced to a tabloid? Michael Jackson’s death was unexpected and is a tragedy for his family. What I find even more tragic, however, is that the death of a pop star is considered more newsworthy than military takeovers, civil unrest, and game-changing legislation.
On the bright side, bunnies are still adorable.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Where are the sanctions for Saudi Arabia?
If you've watched the news at all in the last week that you've no doubt heard about the situation in Iran. You've also probably heard that conservatives are criticizing President Obama for not using stronger rhetoric against Iran. John McCain even called for tougher sanctions against Iran for the human rights violations that have occurred during the post-election protest. Well, it is true that the Iranian crackdown is inhumane and an affront to democracy. But don't we have diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia? And dont they have one of the worst human rights records in the world?
So, we should cut off diplomatic ties with the Saudis and impose some tough sanctions until they give their people more freedom, right?
No, that would be stupid. Saudi Arabia is an important strategic ally in the region, and maintaining good relations with them is important to American interests in the region. You know, sort of how being able to negotiate with Iran about state-sponsored terrorism and nuclear weapons might also be important?
It's espescially interesting that John McCain, who constantly criticized Obama as being all rhetoric and no substance during the campaign, is now criticizing the President for not using enough unsubstantiated rhetoric.
In other news, I found a new way to waste a few hours of your life.
So, we should cut off diplomatic ties with the Saudis and impose some tough sanctions until they give their people more freedom, right?
No, that would be stupid. Saudi Arabia is an important strategic ally in the region, and maintaining good relations with them is important to American interests in the region. You know, sort of how being able to negotiate with Iran about state-sponsored terrorism and nuclear weapons might also be important?
It's espescially interesting that John McCain, who constantly criticized Obama as being all rhetoric and no substance during the campaign, is now criticizing the President for not using enough unsubstantiated rhetoric.
In other news, I found a new way to waste a few hours of your life.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Is there anybody out there?
In all likelihood no one will ever read this blog. How many blogs are there that are being maintained regularly and never ever read. By anyone.
Except of course the one who wrote it. Blogging, and the internet in general, creates an additional barrier between the author of something (in this case a blog) and the reader. Because of things like stumble upon and Digg we come across blog posts all the time and then discard them very quickly, usually to be forgotten about. With something like a book the connection is made less often (assuming that people read books less often than they read blogs) and is also usually made with more of a purpose. We stumble across blogs all the time, but you rarely find yourself accidentally engrossed in a novel (I hope).
Because of this, it is easy to think of blog posts as being made by someone who is so anonymous that they might as well not even exist. But at some point in the chain of connection, everything you read is made by another human being. In a world where everything is increasingly automated and mechanical, the written word is one of the only things that machines can not duplicate. Yet
But baring the creation of some sort of super intelligent robot that can imitate human language, you can be sure that everything you read on the internet was at some point created by a human.
So, despite the fact that it will probably never be read, and at the most it will be a trivial blog post soon to be forgotten, I am writing this. Just to be writing. To prove I'm still human.
But if no one is reading, who am I proving it to?
Except of course the one who wrote it. Blogging, and the internet in general, creates an additional barrier between the author of something (in this case a blog) and the reader. Because of things like stumble upon and Digg we come across blog posts all the time and then discard them very quickly, usually to be forgotten about. With something like a book the connection is made less often (assuming that people read books less often than they read blogs) and is also usually made with more of a purpose. We stumble across blogs all the time, but you rarely find yourself accidentally engrossed in a novel (I hope).
Because of this, it is easy to think of blog posts as being made by someone who is so anonymous that they might as well not even exist. But at some point in the chain of connection, everything you read is made by another human being. In a world where everything is increasingly automated and mechanical, the written word is one of the only things that machines can not duplicate. Yet
But baring the creation of some sort of super intelligent robot that can imitate human language, you can be sure that everything you read on the internet was at some point created by a human.
So, despite the fact that it will probably never be read, and at the most it will be a trivial blog post soon to be forgotten, I am writing this. Just to be writing. To prove I'm still human.
But if no one is reading, who am I proving it to?
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