What has happened to Adult Swim?
I still like many of its show especially on the action side of the block. I enjoy Futurama and wish that they would bring it back. I love Family Guy for its craziness and different gags. I loved many of their older shows like Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law or SeaLab 2021.
But after watching some of their newer shows, I have come to the obvious conclusion.
They are all on crack.
I mean literally. Some of their new shows are so stupid or so over the line, that I can’t watch them. I turn them off. They lose a viewer and I am sure I am not the only one. Shows like Saul of the Molemen and Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job. They are just awful. Yes, they produce a laugh from me every once and while, but most of the time, I just wonder what the heck is wrong with these people. Their shows make no sense. There is no smart writing or other things that usually makes something funny. They rely solely on sight gags, crazy plots and things so goofy that instead of laughing you wonder if they were dropped on their heads as a child.
I don’t have a problem with some of the other shows. Shin-chan is great. I love all the pop culture references. Aqua Teen Hunger Force has its moments but is still really close to being a complete crack baby. Metalocylse is a bloody crack baby with funny lyrics. Robot Chicken is sometimes smart, sometimes just as dumb as the other shows.
But what is up? Do they think that the block is on so late that our minds aren’t working right? Or do they think that the viewers are so doped up and drunk that everything becomes funny? The worst thing is that they just reported their rating for the last quarter and they are the best they have ever had.
What does that mean? Am I and my friends the only sane ones that don’t like these shows? Or is it that we are the only sober ones.
Adult Swim I like you. You have broken new ground with your smart writing and taking risks that others haven’t. But lately, it just seems like you’re broken. I wonder more about the creators of the shows and most of all, how these shows got approved in the first place. Please return to how you were, when you were smart and funny, not dumb as a stoner.
Case in point.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
100 hours or 100 days of Christmas? Make up your mind!
I have an issue with FM 100 and really with the radio industry as a whole.
I enjoy Christmas music as much as the next guy, but having it air almost two months before the holiday is a little ridiculous. I understand that many advertisers and retailers think that it is a good idea to bring the holidays closer and closer to Halloween, but I want my Thanksgiving back.
I really have a hard time being in the Christmas mood, when a week before Halloween I am seeing Christmas products in the stores.
Nor do I feel like it when November now has become the pre-Christmas month. I understand the Black Friday rush, but before that is turkey time.
But FM 100 is making me really confused. I can even understand them changing to Christmas music November 1st, because that puts them in line with other stations. However, they always completely change their format every Sunday to put on LDS church music.
That means that FM 100 changes their format more than three times in less than 90 days. I wish that they would do one or the other.
It is now December and I am ready for Christmas music. I like the warm feelings and fun that comes with the songs. I am reminded of them on Sundays because they are the days that I spend with my family. Family usually equals warm feelings. So in this time of year, I want to listen to Christmas music. I turn on the radio ready to listen to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and instead get “I Stand All Amazed.”
Usually I have just gotten out of church and have already heard these songs. I wanted some Christmas music as a change of pace and I got more hymns.
Why can’t FM 100 just stick with one format over the holidays? It makes it really hard for me the listener want to continue listening to them.
I enjoy Christmas music as much as the next guy, but having it air almost two months before the holiday is a little ridiculous. I understand that many advertisers and retailers think that it is a good idea to bring the holidays closer and closer to Halloween, but I want my Thanksgiving back.
I really have a hard time being in the Christmas mood, when a week before Halloween I am seeing Christmas products in the stores.
Nor do I feel like it when November now has become the pre-Christmas month. I understand the Black Friday rush, but before that is turkey time.
But FM 100 is making me really confused. I can even understand them changing to Christmas music November 1st, because that puts them in line with other stations. However, they always completely change their format every Sunday to put on LDS church music.
That means that FM 100 changes their format more than three times in less than 90 days. I wish that they would do one or the other.
It is now December and I am ready for Christmas music. I like the warm feelings and fun that comes with the songs. I am reminded of them on Sundays because they are the days that I spend with my family. Family usually equals warm feelings. So in this time of year, I want to listen to Christmas music. I turn on the radio ready to listen to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and instead get “I Stand All Amazed.”
Usually I have just gotten out of church and have already heard these songs. I wanted some Christmas music as a change of pace and I got more hymns.
Why can’t FM 100 just stick with one format over the holidays? It makes it really hard for me the listener want to continue listening to them.
Husbands and Wives.
I think that the world has a few reasons to celebrate and few things that we need to be scared of today.
And it all has to do with husband and wife teams.
Recently, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela lost an election in which it would have made him President for life. Chavez has continued to be in power since he was first elected in 1998. During his term, he has continually reached for more power, enacting socialist reforms and putting himself in place of almost a dictator to the country.
This was his first time that he has lost an election in nine years. And who was behind the scenes leading his demise.
His (ex) wife.
Marisabel Rodríguez de Chávez helped to write the new constitution that was formed when Chavez first came into power and has supported him many times. However, she publically spoke out this year in response to the continued reforms that her ex-husband had started, and helped to kick off the movement that helped to turn the elections. Ah, the power of angry ex-wives.
Next, comes the new president of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, or as many know her, the former first lady of Argentina. That’s right; she accepted power from her husband. Many are not happy with this, with the problems that Argentina has continued to have. And better yet, there are allegations that Chavez illegally helped to finance her campaign. Of course, both countries are denying the allegations.
All of this may be a case in point for what is happening in the United States right now. The Clintons are trying to regain their power through Hilary Clinton. Many have criticized or hailed the last presidency under Bill Clinton. Opponents say that it is just a way that will bring President Clinton and a bad presidency back in power.
Maybe all that we need is for Hilary to get divorced. Nothing like the power of an angry ex-wife.
Links. 1 2 and 3.
And it all has to do with husband and wife teams.
Recently, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela lost an election in which it would have made him President for life. Chavez has continued to be in power since he was first elected in 1998. During his term, he has continually reached for more power, enacting socialist reforms and putting himself in place of almost a dictator to the country.
This was his first time that he has lost an election in nine years. And who was behind the scenes leading his demise.
His (ex) wife.
Marisabel Rodríguez de Chávez helped to write the new constitution that was formed when Chavez first came into power and has supported him many times. However, she publically spoke out this year in response to the continued reforms that her ex-husband had started, and helped to kick off the movement that helped to turn the elections. Ah, the power of angry ex-wives.
Next, comes the new president of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, or as many know her, the former first lady of Argentina. That’s right; she accepted power from her husband. Many are not happy with this, with the problems that Argentina has continued to have. And better yet, there are allegations that Chavez illegally helped to finance her campaign. Of course, both countries are denying the allegations.
All of this may be a case in point for what is happening in the United States right now. The Clintons are trying to regain their power through Hilary Clinton. Many have criticized or hailed the last presidency under Bill Clinton. Opponents say that it is just a way that will bring President Clinton and a bad presidency back in power.
Maybe all that we need is for Hilary to get divorced. Nothing like the power of an angry ex-wife.
Links. 1 2 and 3.
Google Wars! - Online story
Google has started yet another war. But this time, it is in the unexpected arena of cell phones.
Google has announced a new mobile software platform called Android. It has partnered with several different big companies and is hoping to standardize programs across carriers. Current differences in software coding prevent this from happening.
But along the way, Google has accused some major carriers as monopolizing the situation. At first, it appeared that the major carriers were against the move. However, it looks like they may be changing their tune.
Verizon announced last week that it was changing it position and that it would support Android in the future. It had previously stated that it would not allow the software, but responded to negative criticism. “Android is an enabler of what we do,” said CEO Lowell McAdam in a interview with Business Weekly. He also announced that they would be opening their networks.
Not to be outdone, AT&T came back and said that its network has been open to any GSM device and software and that it has been that way for years.
"We've not gone out of our way to tout the fact that we have this, and very few people have taken advantage of it," spokesman Mark Siegel said in a telephone interview with PC World Magazine. He later added “We think that we are the most open company in the industry.”
However, he said that the announcement was not in response to the Verizon and Google announcements.
Source articles: here, here, and here.
Google has announced a new mobile software platform called Android. It has partnered with several different big companies and is hoping to standardize programs across carriers. Current differences in software coding prevent this from happening.
But along the way, Google has accused some major carriers as monopolizing the situation. At first, it appeared that the major carriers were against the move. However, it looks like they may be changing their tune.
Verizon announced last week that it was changing it position and that it would support Android in the future. It had previously stated that it would not allow the software, but responded to negative criticism. “Android is an enabler of what we do,” said CEO Lowell McAdam in a interview with Business Weekly. He also announced that they would be opening their networks.
Not to be outdone, AT&T came back and said that its network has been open to any GSM device and software and that it has been that way for years.
"We've not gone out of our way to tout the fact that we have this, and very few people have taken advantage of it," spokesman Mark Siegel said in a telephone interview with PC World Magazine. He later added “We think that we are the most open company in the industry.”
However, he said that the announcement was not in response to the Verizon and Google announcements.
Source articles: here, here, and here.
Let our own music play
Well they have done it again. The RIAA is trying to crack down on illegal file sharing and trying to control our lives.
I agree with the fact that we need to respect copyrights and that we need give artists their fair share. However, much of the data related to file sharing points to the fact that file sharing actually increases CD sales.
Another fact that everyone neglects to mention is that when the CD sales started to go down was right after the RIAA, Best Buy, and other companies had been found guilty of price fixing and had to pay out quite a hefty fee in the class-action lawsuit.
No, now they are doing something that alienates their audience even more. They are saying that consumers can’t even make copies of their own music. “Ripping” or copying music from a CD into a digital format is considered legal under “fair use” rights. If an individual has a physical copy of a CD, they are able to use it in any format that they chose. (I’m not going into digital versions of this, because they seem to be breaking this in my opinion with DRM usage.) Once in a digital format such as MP3, users can put them in IPods, or other different devices.
Now, in another one of their cases against yet another victim, they are alleging that consumers can’t rip CDs. Part of the argument according to some sources is they are ripping them and putting them in shared folders. I still think that this is a dangerous argument. You put files in a shared folder to use on a home network or if you are traveling and still want to access your files. Also, as other articles have pointed out, we break copyright law everyday by the normal things that we do. We take pictures with advertising in the background, we forward e-mail, etc. Can you imagine what life would be like if we had to be careful of every little thing that did like that? Civilization in America would come to a stop.
Frankly, I think that the RIAA is being very stupid and that they need to just get with the program. They need to make higher quality stuff, and stop making their customers angry and try to get money out of them from suing them. And they need to remember before everyone hates them, that consumers have rights too.
one such article is here.
I agree with the fact that we need to respect copyrights and that we need give artists their fair share. However, much of the data related to file sharing points to the fact that file sharing actually increases CD sales.
Another fact that everyone neglects to mention is that when the CD sales started to go down was right after the RIAA, Best Buy, and other companies had been found guilty of price fixing and had to pay out quite a hefty fee in the class-action lawsuit.
No, now they are doing something that alienates their audience even more. They are saying that consumers can’t even make copies of their own music. “Ripping” or copying music from a CD into a digital format is considered legal under “fair use” rights. If an individual has a physical copy of a CD, they are able to use it in any format that they chose. (I’m not going into digital versions of this, because they seem to be breaking this in my opinion with DRM usage.) Once in a digital format such as MP3, users can put them in IPods, or other different devices.
Now, in another one of their cases against yet another victim, they are alleging that consumers can’t rip CDs. Part of the argument according to some sources is they are ripping them and putting them in shared folders. I still think that this is a dangerous argument. You put files in a shared folder to use on a home network or if you are traveling and still want to access your files. Also, as other articles have pointed out, we break copyright law everyday by the normal things that we do. We take pictures with advertising in the background, we forward e-mail, etc. Can you imagine what life would be like if we had to be careful of every little thing that did like that? Civilization in America would come to a stop.
Frankly, I think that the RIAA is being very stupid and that they need to just get with the program. They need to make higher quality stuff, and stop making their customers angry and try to get money out of them from suing them. And they need to remember before everyone hates them, that consumers have rights too.
one such article is here.
Video 88 sec updates
One 'Enchanted' Evening
Click here for official website.
I just have to say how pleased I am with the new Disney movie, Enchanted.
Now as a disclaimer, I actually own a few shares of Disney stock so it also makes me excited on the financial end as well.
The reason that I am so excited about this movie is that it seems like it is a return to the good Disney movies that I grew up with. Not to say that the recent movies have been bad, it’s just that they haven’t really been as timeless as “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.” The last good movie to feature music sung by the characters was “Tarzan”, though they did have a bit in “Home on the Range.”
After “Home on the Range”, Disney decided to shut down its 2D animation studios and focus solely on 3D. I and apparently the box office think that was a mistake. The movies that Disney has produced since then have done ok, but not the response that they were looking for.
They had other 2D releases before this that hadn’t done so well like “Treasure Planet” (which I still think is an excellent movie) and others. However, there was an element that was missing in these. Music! The animated films that Disney had produced for nearly a decade, all had music in them, and a whole generation grew up loving and singing them. However, they decided that was too cliché or something and stopped putting them in the films. People became disinterested because the films did not have the same charm as the previous films did.
But during all this time, Pixar was still making money. The industry thought that was because it was 3D and the audiences responded to it. That was not the case. It was the story telling that Pixar did that made them so great. It had the charm that Disney had lost.
Then came a turn around, or so I believe. Disney bought Pixar, and John Lassater from Pixar became the new head of Walt Disney Animation. He has professed to be an animation lover in all forms and I am hoping continues the comeback of Walt Disney Animation.
The reason that I love “Enchanted” so much is that it brings much of that missing charm back. I hope that Disney takes it as a signal to get their act together. The film combines both animation and live-action with spoofs on plot, background music, in jokes to other films, and musical numbers. All without being too cheesy or goofy. They brought back the same guys who had worked on the Disney musicals from all those years ago and created something that is I would say, quite frankly enchanting.
Audiences have agreed with me. “Enchanted” has been number 1 in the box office for several weeks now, and has just been nominated for several Golden Globes.
Now, let’s just hope that Disney is as “Enchanted” as I am and will continue to bring us good films once again.
I just have to say how pleased I am with the new Disney movie, Enchanted.
Now as a disclaimer, I actually own a few shares of Disney stock so it also makes me excited on the financial end as well.
The reason that I am so excited about this movie is that it seems like it is a return to the good Disney movies that I grew up with. Not to say that the recent movies have been bad, it’s just that they haven’t really been as timeless as “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.” The last good movie to feature music sung by the characters was “Tarzan”, though they did have a bit in “Home on the Range.”
After “Home on the Range”, Disney decided to shut down its 2D animation studios and focus solely on 3D. I and apparently the box office think that was a mistake. The movies that Disney has produced since then have done ok, but not the response that they were looking for.
They had other 2D releases before this that hadn’t done so well like “Treasure Planet” (which I still think is an excellent movie) and others. However, there was an element that was missing in these. Music! The animated films that Disney had produced for nearly a decade, all had music in them, and a whole generation grew up loving and singing them. However, they decided that was too cliché or something and stopped putting them in the films. People became disinterested because the films did not have the same charm as the previous films did.
But during all this time, Pixar was still making money. The industry thought that was because it was 3D and the audiences responded to it. That was not the case. It was the story telling that Pixar did that made them so great. It had the charm that Disney had lost.
Then came a turn around, or so I believe. Disney bought Pixar, and John Lassater from Pixar became the new head of Walt Disney Animation. He has professed to be an animation lover in all forms and I am hoping continues the comeback of Walt Disney Animation.
The reason that I love “Enchanted” so much is that it brings much of that missing charm back. I hope that Disney takes it as a signal to get their act together. The film combines both animation and live-action with spoofs on plot, background music, in jokes to other films, and musical numbers. All without being too cheesy or goofy. They brought back the same guys who had worked on the Disney musicals from all those years ago and created something that is I would say, quite frankly enchanting.
Audiences have agreed with me. “Enchanted” has been number 1 in the box office for several weeks now, and has just been nominated for several Golden Globes.
Now, let’s just hope that Disney is as “Enchanted” as I am and will continue to bring us good films once again.
News Release 2 - Deja Vu
News Release
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Zach Jenkins, Sponsorship Director for KWCR 88.1 Weber FM
Cell: (801) 643-6389
Déjà Vu sponsors 88.1 Weber FM remote
in Newgate Mall
On Dec. 15, KWCR 88.1 Weber FM will host a live remote at Déjà Vu inside the Newgate mall in downtown Ogden.
The remote will be from noon to 4 p.m. and will feature DJs from 88.1 and prizes from Déjà Vu.
Déjà Vu has been at its current location for more than 14 years and specializes in piercing and accessories and tattoos. It is sponsoring 88.1 Weber FM for December and will give out prizes for the month. Prizes include piercing accessories and will be on site.
88.1 Weber FM will host the remote to culminate the end of the semester in December. DJs from “Just Us Folks” and “Metal Shop” will be in attendance.
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News Release 1 - Boys Like Girls
News Release
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Zach Jenkins, Sponsorship Director for KWCR 88.1 Weber FM
Cell: (801) 643-6389
88.1 Weber FM partners with WSUSA
to bring ‘Boys Like Girls’ to Dee Events Center
Zach Jenkins, Sponsorship Director for KWCR 88.1 Weber FM
Cell: (801) 643-6389
88.1 Weber FM partners with WSUSA
to bring ‘Boys Like Girls’ to Dee Events Center
Thousands of Weber State University students and fans will gather Nov. 14 at the Dee Events Center in Ogden for a “Boys like Girls” concert sponsored by the WSU Student Association and 88.1 Weber FM.
The Boston-based band will perform its hits such as “Hero/Heroine” and “The Great Escape” during the concert. Tickets will cost $5 for students and $10 for non-students. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office in the Dee Events Center.
KWCR 88.1 Weber FM will provide three remotes around the Weber State campus in preparation of the event. The remotes will take place Friday, Nov. 9; Monday, Nov. 12; and Tuesday, Nov. 13 between noon and 4 p.m. KWCR will sell tickets to the concert and give away merchandise.
Also, 88.1 Weber FM will give away tickets on air in the weeks leading up to the events. Student DJ’s will be giving tickets away during their shifts and can be reached at (801) 626-8800. Listeners should call in to win. The WSUSA is providing the tickets and they will be available during the remotes.
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Localized Story - To Unlock or Not to Unlock? That is the question
Imagine the horror when after bringing home a new Apple iPhone, changing it to T-Mobile or adding different software, finding that your several hundred dollar toy, had been reduced to nothing more than an expensive brick.
That was the experience of hundreds of Utah consumers of the iPhone last month after Apple sent out an update that made all unlocked iPhones and with third-party applications unusable, restricting access solely to AT&T. This is just the latest incident in the continuing war with consumers between locked and unlocked cellular phones.
“A locked phone is a phone whose software is designed to work on a certain carrier. It won’t accept other SIM cards and is network specific,” said Jake King, employee of AT&T in Riverdale.
An unlocked phone is when a consumer has changed that software so that it will work with any carrier. Most phones sold in the United States are locked to a particular carrier, but are sold at a discount in exchange for its extended contract with that carrier. Unlocked phones can be purchased but are considerably more expensive.
Many are unlocking their phones with or without permission of their carrier. Apple has said that nearly a quarter of a million iPhones have been unlocked. Apple has tried to change this practice by updating the software, rendering those iPhones useless. But soon after the update, hackers were finding ways to unlock the phone. Different phone carriers have varying policies ranging from unlocking the phone after 90 days of service to refusal to unlock phones.
Techniques for locking and unlocking phones are dependent on the type of mobile phone and type of network that it uses. In the United States there are two different standards: Global System for Mobile communication system or GSM network, which is used by AT&T and T-Mobile; and Code Division Multiple Access or CDMA network, which is used by Verizon and Sprint. “GSM is the standard,” said Zeb Nava, another employee of AT&T in Riverdale. “GSM is global. Everyone uses that,” King said. It is used around the globe and is the most easily unlocked. “CDMA is only an American standard for the most part,” King said. “CDMA is impractical or impossible to unlock.”
The advantages of having an unlocked GSM phone goes beyond being able to switch between networks. The unlocked phones can be used in other countries for a fraction of cost by using a local prepaid SIM card. SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module and is the key to the GSM technology. It is microchip that contains the telephone number and other data. If a local prepaid SIM card is used, Utah consumers can avoid paying huge international roaming fees on their bills.
“The phone will work in almost every country, but my company gets the bill. I can take the iPhone to Batswana and it will work but it may cost $5 a minute,” said King.
There are other reasons for a getting an unlocked phone. “In Europe or Japan you can get a lot of really cool phones that never get to Americas,” King said. “You can bring it here. You get a lot of people Denmark coming over to buy the iPhone, though usually it is the other way around.” The iPhone has only a limited release in Europe.
But as with the recent experience of unlocked iPhone users, unlocking the phone does not come without its risks.
“It’s not difficult to unlock a phone but it is too much of a hassle to unlock them for the average consumer. If you unlock a phone to run on a different network, then messaging and other things may not work correctly,” said Nava. “If you do do it, you have to make sure that you do it right. A lot of people will lock themselves out of the network. Or it may not accept different updates that the network will send over the air.”
Also in the United States, some carriers say that unlocking the phone may violate the company warranty, leaving the consumer out of luck if anything goes wrong with the device.
Some arguments say that it even illegal to unlock phones, though the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 exempts the unlocking of mobile phones. Others argue that is not a matter of copyright but more to do with limiting competition. Currently a class-action lawsuit against Apple for $1.2 billion has been because the iPhone is locked to the AT&T network and that efforts to unlock the phone were thwarted by the recent update from Apple.
“If I were on the jury, I would not find anyone guilty for making after-market product or altering products (such as unlocking a phone), because that’s capitalism,” said King. “It’s a technology difference because not all phones are universal. They are like the difference between a Mac and a PC. They are both are computers and they both do Word but that’s about it.”
That was the experience of hundreds of Utah consumers of the iPhone last month after Apple sent out an update that made all unlocked iPhones and with third-party applications unusable, restricting access solely to AT&T. This is just the latest incident in the continuing war with consumers between locked and unlocked cellular phones.
“A locked phone is a phone whose software is designed to work on a certain carrier. It won’t accept other SIM cards and is network specific,” said Jake King, employee of AT&T in Riverdale.
An unlocked phone is when a consumer has changed that software so that it will work with any carrier. Most phones sold in the United States are locked to a particular carrier, but are sold at a discount in exchange for its extended contract with that carrier. Unlocked phones can be purchased but are considerably more expensive.
Many are unlocking their phones with or without permission of their carrier. Apple has said that nearly a quarter of a million iPhones have been unlocked. Apple has tried to change this practice by updating the software, rendering those iPhones useless. But soon after the update, hackers were finding ways to unlock the phone. Different phone carriers have varying policies ranging from unlocking the phone after 90 days of service to refusal to unlock phones.
Techniques for locking and unlocking phones are dependent on the type of mobile phone and type of network that it uses. In the United States there are two different standards: Global System for Mobile communication system or GSM network, which is used by AT&T and T-Mobile; and Code Division Multiple Access or CDMA network, which is used by Verizon and Sprint. “GSM is the standard,” said Zeb Nava, another employee of AT&T in Riverdale. “GSM is global. Everyone uses that,” King said. It is used around the globe and is the most easily unlocked. “CDMA is only an American standard for the most part,” King said. “CDMA is impractical or impossible to unlock.”
The advantages of having an unlocked GSM phone goes beyond being able to switch between networks. The unlocked phones can be used in other countries for a fraction of cost by using a local prepaid SIM card. SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module and is the key to the GSM technology. It is microchip that contains the telephone number and other data. If a local prepaid SIM card is used, Utah consumers can avoid paying huge international roaming fees on their bills.
“The phone will work in almost every country, but my company gets the bill. I can take the iPhone to Batswana and it will work but it may cost $5 a minute,” said King.
There are other reasons for a getting an unlocked phone. “In Europe or Japan you can get a lot of really cool phones that never get to Americas,” King said. “You can bring it here. You get a lot of people Denmark coming over to buy the iPhone, though usually it is the other way around.” The iPhone has only a limited release in Europe.
But as with the recent experience of unlocked iPhone users, unlocking the phone does not come without its risks.
“It’s not difficult to unlock a phone but it is too much of a hassle to unlock them for the average consumer. If you unlock a phone to run on a different network, then messaging and other things may not work correctly,” said Nava. “If you do do it, you have to make sure that you do it right. A lot of people will lock themselves out of the network. Or it may not accept different updates that the network will send over the air.”
Also in the United States, some carriers say that unlocking the phone may violate the company warranty, leaving the consumer out of luck if anything goes wrong with the device.
Some arguments say that it even illegal to unlock phones, though the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 exempts the unlocking of mobile phones. Others argue that is not a matter of copyright but more to do with limiting competition. Currently a class-action lawsuit against Apple for $1.2 billion has been because the iPhone is locked to the AT&T network and that efforts to unlock the phone were thwarted by the recent update from Apple.
“If I were on the jury, I would not find anyone guilty for making after-market product or altering products (such as unlocking a phone), because that’s capitalism,” said King. “It’s a technology difference because not all phones are universal. They are like the difference between a Mac and a PC. They are both are computers and they both do Word but that’s about it.”
Second Interview Story - Not Quite California Adventure
The Walt Disney Co. announced plans to spend $1.1 billion on a redesign of its theme park next year Disney’s California Adventure after continuing floundering ticket sales in comparison with its other Southern California park, Disneyland.
The plan calls for the park to remain open during the five-year reconstruction. The entrance area will be redesigned and new attractions. Additions will include rides from Pixar’s “Cars” and “Toy Story.”
Utah residents have varying opinions about California Adventure. “It’s just not as good. I have fond memories of the old one, and when I went to California Adventure, it just felt like an amusement park,” said Julie King of Layton. Other residents agree. “It has a different feel. It’s missing Disney ‘magic’,” said Rachel Jenkins also of Layton.
That is exactly the criticism that has plagued the park since it opened. “Guests have told us that when they stand in California Adventure, they don’t have an emotional connection to it,” said Jeff Rasulo, president of the theme park division at Disney, in an interview to the Associated Press.
Questioned about what to change in California Adventure, residents’ responses were similar. “It needs more mystique. That anticipation you get we entering the other park,” King said. “Give it more of that ‘Mickey has touched it’ feel,” Jenkins said. “They need to add Test Track or Rockin’ Roller Coaster from Walt Disney World in Florida.”
The park was originally planned to be similar to Disney World’s EPOCT center, but was changed under the supervision of then CEO, Michael Eisner. Attendees have complained since California Adventure opened that it was a park built cheap with generic rides and few rides for children. The announcement by Robert Iger, current CEO of the Walt Disney Co., plans to change this negative sentiment.
Other planned additions include a “Little Mermaid” attraction and a state-of-the-art nighttime spectacular with a viewing area for 9,000 people, along with a new restaurant and other cosmetic improvements.
Investors appear to be pleased with the announcement as well, with stocks raising 37 cents to $35.38 after the announcement was made on Oct. 17.
The plan calls for the park to remain open during the five-year reconstruction. The entrance area will be redesigned and new attractions. Additions will include rides from Pixar’s “Cars” and “Toy Story.”
Utah residents have varying opinions about California Adventure. “It’s just not as good. I have fond memories of the old one, and when I went to California Adventure, it just felt like an amusement park,” said Julie King of Layton. Other residents agree. “It has a different feel. It’s missing Disney ‘magic’,” said Rachel Jenkins also of Layton.
That is exactly the criticism that has plagued the park since it opened. “Guests have told us that when they stand in California Adventure, they don’t have an emotional connection to it,” said Jeff Rasulo, president of the theme park division at Disney, in an interview to the Associated Press.
Questioned about what to change in California Adventure, residents’ responses were similar. “It needs more mystique. That anticipation you get we entering the other park,” King said. “Give it more of that ‘Mickey has touched it’ feel,” Jenkins said. “They need to add Test Track or Rockin’ Roller Coaster from Walt Disney World in Florida.”
The park was originally planned to be similar to Disney World’s EPOCT center, but was changed under the supervision of then CEO, Michael Eisner. Attendees have complained since California Adventure opened that it was a park built cheap with generic rides and few rides for children. The announcement by Robert Iger, current CEO of the Walt Disney Co., plans to change this negative sentiment.
Other planned additions include a “Little Mermaid” attraction and a state-of-the-art nighttime spectacular with a viewing area for 9,000 people, along with a new restaurant and other cosmetic improvements.
Investors appear to be pleased with the announcement as well, with stocks raising 37 cents to $35.38 after the announcement was made on Oct. 17.
Speech story - David Sanger
David Sanger, Chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, spoke of the need of newspapers to publish stories even when asked not to and on the White House during times of war at the Wattis Business Building to an audience of fifty teachers and students, Friday.
“Twenty-five years in the news business has convinced me that this is no ordinary job that we’re engaged in. We’re in the odd position of being a private, occasionally profit-making operation that serves also an essential public role.” Sanger said. He spoke of the role and responsibilities of the press during wartime. “We make mistakes. We make lots of them. But that is why it is important that we have more than one news source,” said Sanger.
Sanger also discussed how the New York Times decides to publish stories. “We wrote quite a bit about what could go wrong, but we didn’t go far enough,” said Sanger about the stories the Times published before the war. When confronted with a decision to run a story about the warrantless wiretapping program at the White House or not, the paper chose to run the story, even though Bush administration officials had asked them not to. “I think it was a truly a proud moment for the paper. But I also think that it was a truly proud moment for the United States,” said Sanger.
Sanger addressed varying topics from White House policy to the “second nuclear age”. He talked about White House policy has changed regarding the war. According to Sanger, the second nuclear age is when nearly every country has nuclear capabilities. Sanger said that the second nuclear age is scarier “because countries that have problems making a light bulb, now can try to create nuclear capabilities.” Sanger also spoke about issues of nuclear capabilities with North Korea and other countries. “North Korea never developed a weapon they haven’t sold because they’re broke.”
Attendees had questions on how long it takes to complete an investigation. An investigation may take months and is considered ready when “you are sick of the reporting,” said Sanger. The audience spent about fifteen minutes asking questions. Sanger tried to focus the majority of his answers to the students. He ended the meeting with some advice to the audience “Read things that challenge your world view.”
“Twenty-five years in the news business has convinced me that this is no ordinary job that we’re engaged in. We’re in the odd position of being a private, occasionally profit-making operation that serves also an essential public role.” Sanger said. He spoke of the role and responsibilities of the press during wartime. “We make mistakes. We make lots of them. But that is why it is important that we have more than one news source,” said Sanger.
Sanger also discussed how the New York Times decides to publish stories. “We wrote quite a bit about what could go wrong, but we didn’t go far enough,” said Sanger about the stories the Times published before the war. When confronted with a decision to run a story about the warrantless wiretapping program at the White House or not, the paper chose to run the story, even though Bush administration officials had asked them not to. “I think it was a truly a proud moment for the paper. But I also think that it was a truly proud moment for the United States,” said Sanger.
Sanger addressed varying topics from White House policy to the “second nuclear age”. He talked about White House policy has changed regarding the war. According to Sanger, the second nuclear age is when nearly every country has nuclear capabilities. Sanger said that the second nuclear age is scarier “because countries that have problems making a light bulb, now can try to create nuclear capabilities.” Sanger also spoke about issues of nuclear capabilities with North Korea and other countries. “North Korea never developed a weapon they haven’t sold because they’re broke.”
Attendees had questions on how long it takes to complete an investigation. An investigation may take months and is considered ready when “you are sick of the reporting,” said Sanger. The audience spent about fifteen minutes asking questions. Sanger tried to focus the majority of his answers to the students. He ended the meeting with some advice to the audience “Read things that challenge your world view.”
Interview Story - "From Russia with love"
“From Russia with love”
When Mikhail Gorbachev came into power over 20 years ago, Marina Rodina never believed that she would eventually end up in Utah. But it did signal changes to come.
“I have had a very interesting life”, Rodina said. Currently, she is an auditor for the Air Force Audit Agency but things haven’t always been so good.
When Gorbachev came into office in 1985, he promised to bring a new type of government to Russia. “He brought us something new-new hopes,” Rodina said.
Her newly-wed husband, Constantine, had left to Bulgaria for work, but the Communist government would not allow spouses to leave together for fear of defection. So she applied several times for permission to visit her husband but was denied. Rodina even went so far as to write a letter personally to Gorbachev to ask for permission. Finally, she was granted permission to go to visit Constantine for six months.
“But they interview you like you’re almost going to spy out there,” Rodina said. She needed to give personal and family information as a way of ensuring that she would return. But like the government had feared, she never did.
Soon after moving to Bulgaria, she attended drama school and had her first son, Christian. But that wasn’t enough for Constantine. He wanted even more freedom. Despite being “brainwashed” from all the propaganda against the United States, Constantine wanted to move to the United States. Constantine developed a plan to move to France and apply for asylum through the U.S. Embassy. But Rodina and Constantine still had to go through the Russian Embassy. They got permission to “take a vacation” to France but were told that they had to leave their son. “We were young and stupid,” taking Christian, only $300 and no paperwork. Amazingly, they had no difficultly leaving Bulgaria. However, the real trouble began when they arrived in France.
They were taken to a dark, locked room and were asked questions of the French officials. Once the purpose of their arrival in France was known, the French officials wanted to help. But they had no visa, no birth certificate, no proof that Christian did not belong to someone else. Finally, after five hours, Rodina noticed that there was a stamp on the passport that said that Christian was her son written in Russian. After getting a translator, they were able to translate the visa and allowed Rodina, Constantine, and Christian to pass.
Finally free, they were able to go to the American Embassy and started a petition for asylum. But they received no financial help and after the $300 was spent, they were homeless. Then by luck, they came into contact with the Tolstoy Foundation. It was originally established in 1939 by the daughter of Leo Tolstoy to help refugees from Europe and the Soviet Union. The foundation helped Marina and Constantine during the next 1 ½ years that they would spend in France.
Around the time that the Berlin Wall came down, they were finally able to make their way to San Francisco, just in time for a gay pride parade and Halloween, both of which were new concepts to the new immigrants. Rodina described her arrival as a “culture shock.” After some struggles with bad jobs and bad apartments, their lives took an interesting turn.
They met senior Latter-Day Saint missionaries.
“I fell in love with the LDS religion,” Rodina said. Soon she was baptized and became involved with the local ward. However, her heart was soon to be broken. After only a few months in the faith, the bishop that they had started the church with left his family for a younger girl. Devastated, she left the church, but kept in contact with the senior missionaries. These missionaries soon convinced Rodina, her husband, and Christian to move out to Utah. So they packed up everything they owned and headed to Utah. They lived with these ex-missionaries for six months before moving out on their own.
Constantine eventually got a job with the FBI and law enforcement. Rodina started a job at a supermarket, before moving to Zion’s Bank, where she developed an interest in finance. Finally, after a five-year stint with Southwest Airlines, she attended Weber State University, graduating in December 2005. She worked part time as a financial consultant until she became a certified accountant. During school, she started an internship with the Air Force Audit Agency and has stayed with them ever since.
When Mikhail Gorbachev came into power over 20 years ago, Marina Rodina never believed that she would eventually end up in Utah. But it did signal changes to come.
“I have had a very interesting life”, Rodina said. Currently, she is an auditor for the Air Force Audit Agency but things haven’t always been so good.
When Gorbachev came into office in 1985, he promised to bring a new type of government to Russia. “He brought us something new-new hopes,” Rodina said.
Her newly-wed husband, Constantine, had left to Bulgaria for work, but the Communist government would not allow spouses to leave together for fear of defection. So she applied several times for permission to visit her husband but was denied. Rodina even went so far as to write a letter personally to Gorbachev to ask for permission. Finally, she was granted permission to go to visit Constantine for six months.
“But they interview you like you’re almost going to spy out there,” Rodina said. She needed to give personal and family information as a way of ensuring that she would return. But like the government had feared, she never did.
Soon after moving to Bulgaria, she attended drama school and had her first son, Christian. But that wasn’t enough for Constantine. He wanted even more freedom. Despite being “brainwashed” from all the propaganda against the United States, Constantine wanted to move to the United States. Constantine developed a plan to move to France and apply for asylum through the U.S. Embassy. But Rodina and Constantine still had to go through the Russian Embassy. They got permission to “take a vacation” to France but were told that they had to leave their son. “We were young and stupid,” taking Christian, only $300 and no paperwork. Amazingly, they had no difficultly leaving Bulgaria. However, the real trouble began when they arrived in France.
They were taken to a dark, locked room and were asked questions of the French officials. Once the purpose of their arrival in France was known, the French officials wanted to help. But they had no visa, no birth certificate, no proof that Christian did not belong to someone else. Finally, after five hours, Rodina noticed that there was a stamp on the passport that said that Christian was her son written in Russian. After getting a translator, they were able to translate the visa and allowed Rodina, Constantine, and Christian to pass.
Finally free, they were able to go to the American Embassy and started a petition for asylum. But they received no financial help and after the $300 was spent, they were homeless. Then by luck, they came into contact with the Tolstoy Foundation. It was originally established in 1939 by the daughter of Leo Tolstoy to help refugees from Europe and the Soviet Union. The foundation helped Marina and Constantine during the next 1 ½ years that they would spend in France.
Around the time that the Berlin Wall came down, they were finally able to make their way to San Francisco, just in time for a gay pride parade and Halloween, both of which were new concepts to the new immigrants. Rodina described her arrival as a “culture shock.” After some struggles with bad jobs and bad apartments, their lives took an interesting turn.
They met senior Latter-Day Saint missionaries.
“I fell in love with the LDS religion,” Rodina said. Soon she was baptized and became involved with the local ward. However, her heart was soon to be broken. After only a few months in the faith, the bishop that they had started the church with left his family for a younger girl. Devastated, she left the church, but kept in contact with the senior missionaries. These missionaries soon convinced Rodina, her husband, and Christian to move out to Utah. So they packed up everything they owned and headed to Utah. They lived with these ex-missionaries for six months before moving out on their own.
Constantine eventually got a job with the FBI and law enforcement. Rodina started a job at a supermarket, before moving to Zion’s Bank, where she developed an interest in finance. Finally, after a five-year stint with Southwest Airlines, she attended Weber State University, graduating in December 2005. She worked part time as a financial consultant until she became a certified accountant. During school, she started an internship with the Air Force Audit Agency and has stayed with them ever since.
Inverted Pyramid Story - Comcast causing cable drought in local neighborhood.
Comcast causing cable drought in local neighborhood.
Comcast will not provide cable service to the Shadow Mountain area of Ogden, Utah, stating that the area never had cable wired and residents will have to rely on satellite or antenna for television service.
Residents have waited for years for other options for television service. The area is known for larger homes with multiple televisions and often heavy snowfall that can disrupt satellite signals. The recently, residents’ only option for television was through satellite providers such as Direct TV or Dish Network, but new construction in the area had given hope of other options.
When the subdivision was built seven years ago, residents were told that they would have to wait for more home construction in the area before cable service would be available. Now, nearly seven years later, their wait was supposed to be coming to an end, as construction of a new subdivision next to Shadow Mountain was reaching completion.
Some residents are eager to change service to cable as it provides service in all weather conditions and also allows for more televisions to have access to other stations without the need of extra receivers, which adds an extra charge in most satellite providers.
But when Comcast was contacted two weeks ago to see if cable service could now be provided to the Shadow Mountain subdivision, residents discovered that service would never be provided to the area. Residents were told that the developer never laid the appropriate line in the subdivision, and if the residents wanted service, they would have to have the lines laid themselves, which would cost thousands of dollars per individual residence.
Comcast will not provide cable service to the Shadow Mountain area of Ogden, Utah, stating that the area never had cable wired and residents will have to rely on satellite or antenna for television service.
Residents have waited for years for other options for television service. The area is known for larger homes with multiple televisions and often heavy snowfall that can disrupt satellite signals. The recently, residents’ only option for television was through satellite providers such as Direct TV or Dish Network, but new construction in the area had given hope of other options.
When the subdivision was built seven years ago, residents were told that they would have to wait for more home construction in the area before cable service would be available. Now, nearly seven years later, their wait was supposed to be coming to an end, as construction of a new subdivision next to Shadow Mountain was reaching completion.
Some residents are eager to change service to cable as it provides service in all weather conditions and also allows for more televisions to have access to other stations without the need of extra receivers, which adds an extra charge in most satellite providers.
But when Comcast was contacted two weeks ago to see if cable service could now be provided to the Shadow Mountain subdivision, residents discovered that service would never be provided to the area. Residents were told that the developer never laid the appropriate line in the subdivision, and if the residents wanted service, they would have to have the lines laid themselves, which would cost thousands of dollars per individual residence.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Writer's block
My other blog for today is about the Writer’s Guild Strike. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05writers.html?ref=business
This is important because they are going on strike and according to the article, starting picket lines starting tomorrow.
The reason that this is important is because this has already happened. In the late 80s the Writer’s Guild went on strike, and it caused the rise in popularity in cable television, giving rise to HBO and other stations. If this strike continues for an extended period of time, it could cause the exact same thing and seriously effect television and movies for the rest of the year and television season.
The demands that they are making I believe are fairly reasonable. The major studios have drastically decreased the amount of work that is given to the union and they have exception when it comes to the internet. The talent unions are given residuals for the work that is done, sometimes going for years. However, the Writer’s Union does not have the same rights.
The Writer’s Union has a big difference in the amount of wages that its members earn. Some earn millions and some earn practically nothing. The residuals will help the lower wage earners to make a livable wage. But it will also make it so that the studios do not get a free ride when it comes to the internet.
Much of this stems from the residuals but also from the fact that the studios have been getting a free ride with internet entertainment. The studios have also been using more outside, independent sources for their writing, and have been trying to avoid using the union. It is the same thing that happened with the actor’s strike. We saw a proliferation of reality TV and bad programming. Unfortunately, this will most likely happen again if the strike takes too long. I hope for a swift resolution that goes in the favor of the Writer’s Guild.
This is important because they are going on strike and according to the article, starting picket lines starting tomorrow.
The reason that this is important is because this has already happened. In the late 80s the Writer’s Guild went on strike, and it caused the rise in popularity in cable television, giving rise to HBO and other stations. If this strike continues for an extended period of time, it could cause the exact same thing and seriously effect television and movies for the rest of the year and television season.
The demands that they are making I believe are fairly reasonable. The major studios have drastically decreased the amount of work that is given to the union and they have exception when it comes to the internet. The talent unions are given residuals for the work that is done, sometimes going for years. However, the Writer’s Union does not have the same rights.
The Writer’s Union has a big difference in the amount of wages that its members earn. Some earn millions and some earn practically nothing. The residuals will help the lower wage earners to make a livable wage. But it will also make it so that the studios do not get a free ride when it comes to the internet.
Much of this stems from the residuals but also from the fact that the studios have been getting a free ride with internet entertainment. The studios have also been using more outside, independent sources for their writing, and have been trying to avoid using the union. It is the same thing that happened with the actor’s strike. We saw a proliferation of reality TV and bad programming. Unfortunately, this will most likely happen again if the strike takes too long. I hope for a swift resolution that goes in the favor of the Writer’s Guild.
A Signpost to nowhere?
Okay, I am going to do a couple of posts because I have to make up for them. First because I was sick all last week, so things didn’t turn out exactly as planned. Second, because I have been really busy as well.
Anyway, this week I am going to have a little bit of a rant. I have to say that I am fed up with the Weber State Signpost. They can be reached here. http://www.wsusignpost.com/ I have been continually disappointed in the Signpost. It’s for several different reasons. One reason is that almost every issue has some sort of error in it. In my opinion they have never really been all that good. However, things really got to a low point with the issue of Mark Bruckham. Let me explain. In the Homecoming issue of the Signpost, they had a student that was accused of attempted kidnapping. They did put it on the front page, which I had no problem with, even fact, I think that is what they should have done. But there were a couple things wrong. One, the caption had a different spelling of the name then was found in the article. Second, in the article, they said that Bruckham was not a student at Weber State. Third, was that in the special section of Signpost, they had a picture of Bruckham and said that he was a student, and I believe a psychology major (sorry if my info is wrong). The major problem being that the picture was taken less than 24 hours previous.
This is not the only event. I think that this was the low point, but I admit that the content has gotten better since that time. Another time the Signpost printed a picture of a defaced sign that said “Screw you Weber, I need to go to class!” The image itself was not bad, but it lacked a time frame. It was all because there had been a construction consortium that day on campus, and they had taken over half of the A9 lot for parking. At this point, there was not much of a problem. The problem came when a couple days later the Signpost printed as their official “viewpoint” that this was nothing more than just a case of selfishness, half bad mouthing the practice and then going on and comparing that act, to things much more severe. I kind of took issue with this, because I didn’t think that it was the right viewpoint to take, but I’m not really mad about that. I was madder about the fact that they took that viewpoint without mentioning the crucial fact of time. Time was important on if this viewpoint was correct or not, yet it was never printed. The reason for this was that the A lot permits are sold at a premium. That’s because the lots are sold with little excess so that a parking spot is always available. But that no longer becomes an issue after 5 p.m. or perhaps a little earlier because many people have gone home. So if the meeting was at 9 a.m. and the person trying to go to class suddenly finds his space gone, I can understand the frustration and the Signpost viewpoint would be wrong. However, if the event was around 5 p.m. or so, then the student really didn’t have a reason to act out and the Signpost would be right. But that distinction was never given to the reader.
Other things that they don’t do that make me mad lack of preview stories, crap campus calendar, lamenting lack of student involvement, and the fact that they don’t have a correction section. They never ran anything about the Mark Bruckham case as far as I know, and they just continued with other stories about him. I don’t see like a dedicated section for corrections and if they do, it mixes in with the ads so that you can’t tell where it is at. And I have to say that the letters to the editor, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT count as the correction section. That is someone else pointing out your mistake or is against something that you wrote. But it is not the Signpost taking credit for it.
Now, I do understand that they are a student paper and that they are learning and trying to improve. I understand that being on the newspaper is very time consuming and they are doing the best they can. I applaud them in that and I have seen many different improvements. However, it seems to me that they are missing key features that should be included in basic newspaper reporting. I hope that they will learn from their mistakes and be able to be a paper that the University can be proud of, and not one that is like a junior high school paper like it was at the beginning of the semester.
Anyway, this week I am going to have a little bit of a rant. I have to say that I am fed up with the Weber State Signpost. They can be reached here. http://www.wsusignpost.com/ I have been continually disappointed in the Signpost. It’s for several different reasons. One reason is that almost every issue has some sort of error in it. In my opinion they have never really been all that good. However, things really got to a low point with the issue of Mark Bruckham. Let me explain. In the Homecoming issue of the Signpost, they had a student that was accused of attempted kidnapping. They did put it on the front page, which I had no problem with, even fact, I think that is what they should have done. But there were a couple things wrong. One, the caption had a different spelling of the name then was found in the article. Second, in the article, they said that Bruckham was not a student at Weber State. Third, was that in the special section of Signpost, they had a picture of Bruckham and said that he was a student, and I believe a psychology major (sorry if my info is wrong). The major problem being that the picture was taken less than 24 hours previous.
This is not the only event. I think that this was the low point, but I admit that the content has gotten better since that time. Another time the Signpost printed a picture of a defaced sign that said “Screw you Weber, I need to go to class!” The image itself was not bad, but it lacked a time frame. It was all because there had been a construction consortium that day on campus, and they had taken over half of the A9 lot for parking. At this point, there was not much of a problem. The problem came when a couple days later the Signpost printed as their official “viewpoint” that this was nothing more than just a case of selfishness, half bad mouthing the practice and then going on and comparing that act, to things much more severe. I kind of took issue with this, because I didn’t think that it was the right viewpoint to take, but I’m not really mad about that. I was madder about the fact that they took that viewpoint without mentioning the crucial fact of time. Time was important on if this viewpoint was correct or not, yet it was never printed. The reason for this was that the A lot permits are sold at a premium. That’s because the lots are sold with little excess so that a parking spot is always available. But that no longer becomes an issue after 5 p.m. or perhaps a little earlier because many people have gone home. So if the meeting was at 9 a.m. and the person trying to go to class suddenly finds his space gone, I can understand the frustration and the Signpost viewpoint would be wrong. However, if the event was around 5 p.m. or so, then the student really didn’t have a reason to act out and the Signpost would be right. But that distinction was never given to the reader.
Other things that they don’t do that make me mad lack of preview stories, crap campus calendar, lamenting lack of student involvement, and the fact that they don’t have a correction section. They never ran anything about the Mark Bruckham case as far as I know, and they just continued with other stories about him. I don’t see like a dedicated section for corrections and if they do, it mixes in with the ads so that you can’t tell where it is at. And I have to say that the letters to the editor, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT count as the correction section. That is someone else pointing out your mistake or is against something that you wrote. But it is not the Signpost taking credit for it.
Now, I do understand that they are a student paper and that they are learning and trying to improve. I understand that being on the newspaper is very time consuming and they are doing the best they can. I applaud them in that and I have seen many different improvements. However, it seems to me that they are missing key features that should be included in basic newspaper reporting. I hope that they will learn from their mistakes and be able to be a paper that the University can be proud of, and not one that is like a junior high school paper like it was at the beginning of the semester.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Adventure has just begun in California
Well, this week brought an interesting piece of news. http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/disney-plans-five-year-1-billion-revamp/n20071017124509990022 Now, I have to give a little bit of a disclaimer. I do own some shares of Disney stock, and have for several years. But really I can’t be more excited about this news. Basically, what Disney is doing is they are going to completely remodel Disney’s California Adventure and spending $1.1 billion to do it.
That figure is significant because that is about equal or greater than the amount taken to build the theme park. The park was built for about $1 billion and since then the company has spent approximately $100 million in improvements.
Many have felt, myself included, that Disney’s California Adventure was lacking the “Disney magic” or spark that the original Disneyland has. And the attendance records seem to confirm that observation, with 6 million visitors to California Adventure compared to nearly 15 million visitors to Disneyland. And that’s a problem.
Since the park has opened it has been criticized for its lack of magic and that “guests have no emotional attachment to it,” said Jay Rasulo, president of the Disney theme park division. Some people have commented that California Adventure is just like a theme park that you can get anywhere.
And I agree. California Adventure is plagued by many problems. It has no transportation system like Disneyland. It has also does not have the same amount of stimulating rides as Disneyland. I actually consider most of the park boring. The best part is the Hollywood section and the California Wilderness section, both of which are towards the entrance of the park. There are only a few rides that make it worth it to go down to the other sections of the park.
The goal for the redesign is to reclaim that missing spark. The plans are to redesign the entrance to be more comparable to Main Street USA in Disneyland, and expanding it to include attractions based off of the latest Pixar movies. But Disney isn’t going to suddenly stop making money off of California Adventure. They plan on keeping the park open during the reconstruction, with temporary entrances and closing some section of the park.
All I can say is way to go Disney. This is actually some very good news. Actually probably some of the best news I’ve heard since Disney acquired Pixar and John Lassiter became the head of Walt Disney Animation. I am coming to like the new CEO of Disney, Bob Iger. He seems to be stepping to the plate and really trying to turn the company around.
That figure is significant because that is about equal or greater than the amount taken to build the theme park. The park was built for about $1 billion and since then the company has spent approximately $100 million in improvements.
Many have felt, myself included, that Disney’s California Adventure was lacking the “Disney magic” or spark that the original Disneyland has. And the attendance records seem to confirm that observation, with 6 million visitors to California Adventure compared to nearly 15 million visitors to Disneyland. And that’s a problem.
Since the park has opened it has been criticized for its lack of magic and that “guests have no emotional attachment to it,” said Jay Rasulo, president of the Disney theme park division. Some people have commented that California Adventure is just like a theme park that you can get anywhere.
And I agree. California Adventure is plagued by many problems. It has no transportation system like Disneyland. It has also does not have the same amount of stimulating rides as Disneyland. I actually consider most of the park boring. The best part is the Hollywood section and the California Wilderness section, both of which are towards the entrance of the park. There are only a few rides that make it worth it to go down to the other sections of the park.
The goal for the redesign is to reclaim that missing spark. The plans are to redesign the entrance to be more comparable to Main Street USA in Disneyland, and expanding it to include attractions based off of the latest Pixar movies. But Disney isn’t going to suddenly stop making money off of California Adventure. They plan on keeping the park open during the reconstruction, with temporary entrances and closing some section of the park.
All I can say is way to go Disney. This is actually some very good news. Actually probably some of the best news I’ve heard since Disney acquired Pixar and John Lassiter became the head of Walt Disney Animation. I am coming to like the new CEO of Disney, Bob Iger. He seems to be stepping to the plate and really trying to turn the company around.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Their tiny, their toony, their all a little looney!
Truthfully, I had a hard time thinking about what to post to my blog this week. For me this has been a really hectic week, so I didn’t get to do all the things that I wanted to or do all the research that I wanted to do for this blog. However, there was a very interesting news story for me. I am a very big fan of cartoons and I plan on doing voices for cartoons as a career. So those type of news tend to attract my attention. The news was that the long time cartoon block of KidsWB will be ending it’s run as of September 2008.
Now, this wasn’t the first time, that the block was in danger. When the WB network merged with UPN in the beginning of 2006, the KidsWB was one of the only blocks to completely survive the merger. At first I was really worried that the block would be cancelled. Just as a side note, the KidsWB block has been one of my favorite blocks in years past, and has recently has had some of the better programming at least on over the air television.
Another danger sign was several years ago, with the AOL Time Warner Merger, Cartoon Network and KidsWB began to share programming. Luckily, this did not last for very long, and they both went back to original programming.
But now comes the big clincher. When the 2008-2009 rolls around, the new programming block with be taken over by 4Kids Entertainment. I don’t have anything against 4Kids, in fact I do like some of their programming. But not everything is gold, so to speak.
The main problem comes from the fact that currently 4Kids also has their own programming block called the 4Kids TV on Fox stations. They took over the programming block that Fox had previously called FOX Kids. I really liked that block and 4Kids has filled its place with some interesting programming. However their contract for this block was just renewed until 2009. That means for at least 1 year at this point, that 4Kids will be programming TWO different programming blocks. Unfortunately, I don’t think that they have enough licensed programs to be able to put new programs on both networks.
But at this time, we will just have to see if any of the shows currently airing now will survive until next season. And what kind of programming 4Kids will be able to offer.
If you would like more information you can visit this link. http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=19175
Now, this wasn’t the first time, that the block was in danger. When the WB network merged with UPN in the beginning of 2006, the KidsWB was one of the only blocks to completely survive the merger. At first I was really worried that the block would be cancelled. Just as a side note, the KidsWB block has been one of my favorite blocks in years past, and has recently has had some of the better programming at least on over the air television.
Another danger sign was several years ago, with the AOL Time Warner Merger, Cartoon Network and KidsWB began to share programming. Luckily, this did not last for very long, and they both went back to original programming.
But now comes the big clincher. When the 2008-2009 rolls around, the new programming block with be taken over by 4Kids Entertainment. I don’t have anything against 4Kids, in fact I do like some of their programming. But not everything is gold, so to speak.
The main problem comes from the fact that currently 4Kids also has their own programming block called the 4Kids TV on Fox stations. They took over the programming block that Fox had previously called FOX Kids. I really liked that block and 4Kids has filled its place with some interesting programming. However their contract for this block was just renewed until 2009. That means for at least 1 year at this point, that 4Kids will be programming TWO different programming blocks. Unfortunately, I don’t think that they have enough licensed programs to be able to put new programs on both networks.
But at this time, we will just have to see if any of the shows currently airing now will survive until next season. And what kind of programming 4Kids will be able to offer.
If you would like more information you can visit this link. http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=19175
Monday, October 8, 2007
Welcome to the World of Stuff!
Hello, and welcome to my new blog “The Wonderful World of Stuff”!
This is a fairly new thing for me. This will for now reside as a place for my assignments in my media writing class at Weber State University. In the future, who knows? Depending on my interest in this blog and in different stories, it may become something much more. In the foreseeable future it will be a storage place for all my different stories and things of interest. I plan on including links and reporting on things that I feel are interesting. You may feel free to comment on the different things that I report on. You can criticize me, compliment me, or you can give me your opinion. I would like this to be as interactive as possible to all the people that happen to find this website.
But first a little bit about me. My name is Zach Jenkins. I am 22 years old and I am currently a student at Weber State University. I am a recently returned missionary for the LDS church, having served in the Washington D.C. North mission. I am currently the sponsorship director for KWCR 88.1 Weber FM, “The sound of Weber State.” I am currently a communications major with a planned emphasis in entertainment. My interests include almost everything, including, media, cartoons, anime, voice-overs, acting, music, movies, television, singing, and playing sports. You could say that I am a media nut. I love all sorts of things about the entertainment industry both as the casual observer and knowing about the insiders view. I am trying to become more involved in the entertainment industry by becoming an actor, but I also enjoy the business side of the entertainment industry, on the different deals that different companies make. I also enjoy the nerd side of me, enjoying working on computers and technology as well. I am my family techie and many times, I am in charge of fixing all things technological in my house.
Well, thank you for your time and I hope that you will continue to stop by and learn more about things along with me. I hope that you will enjoy my wonderful world of stuff!
This is a fairly new thing for me. This will for now reside as a place for my assignments in my media writing class at Weber State University. In the future, who knows? Depending on my interest in this blog and in different stories, it may become something much more. In the foreseeable future it will be a storage place for all my different stories and things of interest. I plan on including links and reporting on things that I feel are interesting. You may feel free to comment on the different things that I report on. You can criticize me, compliment me, or you can give me your opinion. I would like this to be as interactive as possible to all the people that happen to find this website.
But first a little bit about me. My name is Zach Jenkins. I am 22 years old and I am currently a student at Weber State University. I am a recently returned missionary for the LDS church, having served in the Washington D.C. North mission. I am currently the sponsorship director for KWCR 88.1 Weber FM, “The sound of Weber State.” I am currently a communications major with a planned emphasis in entertainment. My interests include almost everything, including, media, cartoons, anime, voice-overs, acting, music, movies, television, singing, and playing sports. You could say that I am a media nut. I love all sorts of things about the entertainment industry both as the casual observer and knowing about the insiders view. I am trying to become more involved in the entertainment industry by becoming an actor, but I also enjoy the business side of the entertainment industry, on the different deals that different companies make. I also enjoy the nerd side of me, enjoying working on computers and technology as well. I am my family techie and many times, I am in charge of fixing all things technological in my house.
Well, thank you for your time and I hope that you will continue to stop by and learn more about things along with me. I hope that you will enjoy my wonderful world of stuff!
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