Newscorp bro

British government officials care about justice, or their citizens more the America does. There is no way news networks in America are going to be held to the same standard simply because the American government utilizes the news networks to control the masses. There are some people who listen to the news and believe everything they hear, and there are some that don't. Even if you don't swear by the news if you hear something enough times you'll begin to agree; its exactly like the article that was discussed in class about the man with the megaphone. I am not completely condemning the American government, or legal system, but they are definitely flawed. If American news corporations had to face this level of accountability then maybe people who condemn news programs (particularly television) would be more inclined to give them a second chance.

Rupert Murdoch is a very successful man, but with so much success comes arrogance I didn't know existed. I didn't know much about Rupert before writing this blog so I did a bit of research, and this Aussie-American has quite the list of accomplishments. He is ranked the 13th most powerful man in the world, and the 117th wealthiest man in the world. When you look at those accomplishments, and account for his age it's unfathomable for this man to have a single humble bone in his body. In my few years of experience there are few undeniable facts I have learned. With age comes a lot wisdom, and about ten times more arrogance towards the youth; this is surely one of those lessons. So a man of 80 with his kind of accomplishments is going to think very little of everyone. I assert that Rupert Murdoch won't be giving up his position on top of his own mount Olympus until he bites the dust.

Peer Critique

Kareem's blog on failed states hits many strong points on both the American side, as well as the foreign side of the war on terror. The situation these failed states are in are described in detail giving the reader a definite, and good understanding of their situation. He points out that the problem is with how we handle the situation and offers an appropriate solution. He mentions the American agenda which is a nice touch because it shows why the course of action has been taken while it may seem unorthodox or ineffective to a poorly informed individual without understanding the agenda. Kareem talks about the opportunities that many people in the world are not privileged enough to have; then those same people are criticized for not having the drive or resolve to do things they aspire to do. Kareem says "Helping other countries through aid is just not an American ideal, whether it be monetary, education or nutritional." which I find a little vague and allows the reader to infer or assume too much. He then discusses America's love for war and the "tough guy" image which is completely accurate. Patriots in particular are head over heels for those ideals, and when our government frames war reports glorifying our army it creates a strong sense of pride for patriotic citizens. Kareem also uses a historical example to further strengthen his argument and transitions his criticism of violence to a need for compassion and cooperation at the expense of a little pride. The picture Kareem chose compliments his argument very well, because it shows a group of people in a war-torn country surrounding a man that seems to be dying and are not really phased by this travesty.

Overall I am impressed with Kareem's blog and agree with it on virtually all points. There was only one short coming I could find which as I stated earlier was how vague of one of his sentences were.

Government

If I were to change something in our culture the way in which our government serves its people would be fixed. The Declaration of Independence states "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." yet this is not how our government currently operates. The government has many responsibilities, but first and foremost is it's responsibility to the citizens of the United States of America. We can not hope to help others if we cannot first help ourselves. I strongly support helping war torn countries, impoverished countries etc. but before our government continues doing these things it must address the myriad of ailments our country currently faces.

The homelessness in our nation is completely unacceptable. We are one of the most successful nations in the world, yet we have four-hundred thousand homeless people with only just above half in some kind of shelter. During my 1 month trip to England I saw one person who you might consider homeless. I asked my relatives why there were so few homeless people in England, and they informed me that the British government will house you, and give you a adequate sum of money bi-weekly to help you get back on you feet. The part that threw my for a loop was that there was no time restriction for how long you could stay in that particular position. Not only do they keep you housed and fed, but they also help you get back to work so that you can support yourself. So why can't one of the wealthiest and surely the strongest nation in the world provide something close to that level of assistance to its citizens. That doesn't sound like a government that serves the people to me.

The second most upsetting part of our government is their emphasis on education. The only way to advance is to educate your citizens. Eventually our doctors, CEOs, and political leaders will grow old, retire, and unavoidable pass away. When that happens what state will our uneducated nation be left in? There is a very apparent problem in wealth distribution in the world, but a particularly bad one in our nation. You can clearly see the correlation between level of education and success and socio-economic standing. Being a student myself can see small changes that would greatly increase the way our education system is ran. In England you can begin to choose a focus in secondary school (equivalent to late middle school and early high school) and by 16 you are in college (not the same as our college) where you completely focus an area of your choice. Upon completing college you can choose to further your education and go to university (this is equivalent to our college). Their system is superior ours in essentially every aspect. So our government needs to focus more on education.

Drugs are bad mmkay.

Most people do think of drugs very cut and dry, but in all honesty anyone with half a brain can tell that there is a lot more to most drugs than getting high. All the terms we currently use in modern society have negative connotations. Why can't getting high just mean the act of ingesting a particular drug? It adds a negative stereotype to whoever is utilizing this particular drug, and that stereotype can range from bad to worse. People associate marijuana with lazy, unambitious people and similar scenarios for other drugs. I am not supporting using just any drug, because certain drugs are more than most people can handle. Marijuana is a drug most people can handle where as heroine is not.


Certain drugs have been extensively studied and have been proven to be virtually harmless yet are illegal, and there are many prescription drugs that can be detrimental to your health when used just above the recommended dose. So why does the government encourage the use of potentially lethal drugs, and criminalize drugs that are naturally growing plants of the earth? We're scared of global warming and what not, but the world is aprox. four billion years old and has gone through ice ages and extinctions time and time again, but still it survives. I think a planet that has experience which we cannot begin to comprehend can do no wrong. There are an unreal number of incarcerated individuals due to drug charges. Many of the people in jail for drug charges are arrested at a young age and treated as if they fully understood the magnitude of their transgressions. On second thought maybe our court system is overestimating the magnitude of the situation. Personally I would encourage people to experience life to the fullest, and this does involve breaking laws; these laws should not be there in the first place, mind you. The moral of the story is that drugs aren't all bad, and allow you to fully understand the world which we inhabit.

Apocalypse Soon?

The Georgia Guidestones are definitely intended to be used as a post-apocalyptic instructions for any people who may have survived such an event. many christians reject the monument because they don't understand or ignore the state the world is in which we have had a huge negative part to play as a species. Would you blame the earth if it wanted to get rid of every trace of human civilization? All we do is rape pillage and burn things historically speaking. More modern humans like ourselves would rather pollute the atmosphere, and disrupt the natural order of things. These stones say "Be not a cancer on the earth - Leave room for nature - Leave room for nature". When you really think about it we are worse than cancer for the earth, we are more like a corrosive acid at the rate we're going. We must leave room for nature, because nature is what sustains every living thing on this planet. Personally I am a vegetarian and stick to fruits, vegetables, and other products derived from them, but even if you eat meat this applies to you. That chicken you love so much also depends on nature, and when nature can no longer support life then life shall end. More realistically nature will be fine, but we won't because the planet has had catastrophes in the past; look at it today. The earth is the most beautiful planet in the solar system filled with vibrant life and beautiful scenery.

Years ago people were said to be witches if they did anything that offended the church, and the test to prove whether or not they were in fact a witch was to see if they would drown when thrown into a lake. We now teach people how to swim, and encourage it. The church has been wrong, and done wrong in the past so why do so many people continue to blinded follow such a hypocritical group? If we like the lives we live and wish for our children to come to enjoy the same happiness, then rather than bashing progressive ideas saying its the work of the devil, or its the new world order we should encourage moving towards a brighter future that we can all agree on. Currently our governing system globally and nationally is not up to par. Atlanta is a large hub for human trafficking and the global powers are not fighting it. Casey Anthony was found not guilty for the murder of her own daughter when she was clearly guilty. So maybe it is time for a change. Time to wake up folks.

Land of the free, home of the mentally challanged.

In every culture, society, or semi-organized group there is the necessity for a strong and intelligent leader. In the 21st century we have made leaps and bounds from in the issues we face from the issues of ancient civilizations. So why is it that one of the world powers has multiple obviously stupid candidates; how did they get to the positions they have in the first place? The question is daunting almost completely due to the unorthodox answer that would catch many off guard, or they would simply refute said answer. The candidates do not need to be qualified so long as you have money, or reputations. There are two ways to interpret the reasoning as to why one would want a airhead as the leader of their nation, number 1: because the government is run by aliens and they want to control us, or 2: the government is run by CEOs of top end businesses that would rather bypass lobbyists in congress, and help them get elected so to influence policy making, and bend it in their favor. Who in their right mind wants businesses regulating themselves? This is precisely why so many of our governmental departments such as the USDA are messed up. The department isn't completely at fault, but the people who are making the big decisions are, the people who make those decisions are appointed by upper level officials ultimately leading up to the president, and the people elect the president. The people have all the power in this, but the majority doesn't realize it leaving the few who do frustrated and hopeless.

The John Wayne reference could easily be misconstrued seeing how typically white Americans view him as a hero of some sort, but Native Americans as well as other individuals that sympathize with their plight would be offended by him. I don't know of all that many Native American republicans though so as far as their voters it isn't really going to have a negative effect.

Misunderstandings are a part of the American political system, but they are simply tools which are exploited by people who have something to gain from other people's misfortune.

Hispters vs. Hypebeasts

Currently being a hispter or hypebeast is not necessarily a good thing. Many people don't know the difference between the two, so here are a few tips on how to identify them. Hipsters are trendy offsprings of hippies traditionally (when it wasn't such a bad thing), they are easy to spot if a group (but not a large group) of people start wearing some obscure or vintage attire. A hypebeast doesn't really have a roots like hipsters and hippies. It's more of an evolution of typically minorities that have adopted many previously shunned fashions ex: neon colors, tight jeans, shirts that fit (in some cases too small). All of this applies solely to their style, but their personalities are an even bigger part of what makes them hispters and hypebeasts.

Hipsters are easy to spot with their "too cool for school" mentality and always talk about how they did something or listened to someone before it was cool(which results in a bias towards "indie" music), which isn't so bad, but recently they have developed a few distasteful qualities. Hipsters can be annoyingly apathetic, and generally think they are better than other people. Hypebeasts in many ways are the polar opposite of hipsters, rather than constantly trying to stay original they try to pull off "the look" better than everyone else, and do not care how many people are doing/wearing the same thing. Music also a polar opposite and evolutionary development resulting in a large amount of mainstream music(including rock which was previous taboo) Hipsters will try to always stay as far away from the norm as possible, but after enough time has gone by will happily bring an old style back and call it vintage because to hipsters vintage trumps all name brands. Hypebeasts oddly enough do the same thing, and call them throwbacks, but it takes a little more time for something to become cool again. The hipsters go straight for the vintage look wearing the 20 or so year old clothing, but before hypebeasts can wear something old it has to look new again.

Seeing how these are new terms almost solely used among younger demographics (14-25) there are some older people (25-35) who just can't seem to grow up and continue abiding by these trends. Despite all of the differences between these two mixing them up, or not being able to identify them is still common and understandable due to the amount of people trying to do one and failing, or simply walking the tightrope between them(which is done fairly often). It all depends on your personality and fashion sense. There are white hypebeasts and minority hipsters. Now you know a little about these significant(because they are everywhere) yet insignificant(because no one really care) social categories.

Terrorism?

The reason our government focuses on terrorism rather than social, or humanitarian issues is simple: terror has be turned into a tool that the government can use whenever it is convenient. To most American's terrorism is synonymous with 9-11, Iraq, or car bombs. Why is that what we view terrorism as? It's because our government has spoon fed us the ideology and we have accepted it. I would call police brutality terrorism because I personally don't like the idea of individuals that are supposed to be there to protect the citizens of this nation, and uphold the law abusing people. A huge social problem in America is the crime rates, and a large amount of that is attributed it minority groups. From when these minority individuals are young there are given little to nothing, have little encouragement from friends, family, or school. This is one of the worst situations to be in psychologically. There aren't many options for these individuals, they are surrounded by bad role models and aren't encouraged to be any better. So lets bring it back to terrorism versus social, and humanitarian issues. Terrorism is a tool that can be used to scare citizens into agreeing with the government. Social and humanitarian activism requires a large amount of work from the government, and there would be a sharp increase in political activism if the issues spoke to the people as a whole. Terrorism is the easy way out.

The picture that grabs me is the one of the boy in a destroyed Haitian building. My mother is from Jamaica, and I have plenty of relatives in the Caribbean; so this made me realize that a disaster similar to the one in Haiti could happen in Jamaica. My mother volunteered, and went to Haiti to help the thousands of children, and women displaced by the catastrophic earthquake. There were heart-wrenching pictures, and stories that followed her return. America made a huge deal about raising money and sending relief to Haiti, but at the end of the day nothing has been put in place for these people to get back on their feet. The American people helped raise 1.4 billion alone, and foreign nations "pledged" to give 10 billion to the Haitian people. The 1.4 billion has been partially used, but on tents (that are no place for a family, and often break), food (not enough for the amount of people), and other basic necessities. There is only one reason I can think of that is keeping the money from being spent, and that reason is simple; the money isn't there. I wouldn't put it past the multi-tiered corrupt government (that is severely in debt) we currently have that puts their own pockets before the mouths, and lives of others. If you have a better explanation as to why 50-100 million dollars (a fraction of the money raised) can't be used to help these people get back on their feet I would love to hear it.

The Schlong Goodbye

The aspect of the media that is being satirized is the seriousness of what they are reporting on. Like most of today's television programs the news is also more interested in entertaining the general public rather than actual reporting and coverage of stories that matter. Admittedly ex-congressman Weiner's scandal was funny for the first week or so, but the time for laughing over juvenile issues should have ran its course by this time. The issue is that the few people interested in Jobs, Medicare, and the middle class people of America are going to hear Nancy Pelosi's speech one way or another. It's sad that the few stations on television that are supposed to be dedicated to bringing us the news are now more interested in entertaining us. Are the ratings so important that you have to make a mockery of your own profession? I am sure there are numerous journalists that would be offended and appalled by the immature manner in which all of these stations acted in.

These news stations deem the economy, loss of middle class jobs, and medicare less important than the ex congressman's scandal because the majority of the public does not deem it important. These stations are out for the ratings because at the end of the day these stations have salary's to pay. My old English teacher used to love the term "you gotta get paid" to explain our country's emphasis on income, and living the "good life" (which we coincidentally discussed today). Everyone wants to have money not only to live a comfortable life, but also to travel, go out, and impress their friends. Thus the deeper reason that these stations don't deem these issues as important as a scandal is they are more interested in keeping money in their pocket.

If the American people want to progress as a nation to save the middle class, medicare, jobs (which includes yours assuming you have one), or any other issues that have not yet been brought to light then we have to change the way we as a people live our daily lives. To change our daily lives we must encourage others to change, to encourage others we must first change ourselves, to change our self we must change the way we think. Change is scary for a lot of people, but is necessary and good in the long run.

From reggae to rock

Vybz Kartel, Damian Marley, Foo Fighters, System Of A Down

Above are a the videos I will be refering to. The Vybz Kartel video does not make sense because these people are in Jamaica which is not very far from a third world country in many parts of the country (Portmore being a fairly impoverished area). Despite the poverty and hard life many citizens of Jamaica face they are imitating the ignorance we face in America. The video does not make the song any better. The videography is mediocre, and I like the song a little less when I saw the video. The song inadvertently makes a political statement about two things. The influence of American culture on the rest of the world, and the want to be trendy and stylish regardless of socio-economic standing in our day in age. I like this artist because his music is catchy, and it's what my cousins listened to the last time I visited them in Jamaica.

The Damian Marley video makes sense and depicts the harsh truth the Jamaica and its people face everyday. While Jamaica is not war-torn or in a major crisis the citizens do not all have the basic building blocks for a good life: education, steady meals, and a safe place to live. The video does make the song better because it provides a visual for the profound story he is telling. It makes a strong politically statement, and in one line he says "To win election them trick we, then them don't do nothing at all" referring to the corrupt government. I enjoy listening to Damian Marley because it brings me back to my roots, and many of my friends who don't always understand what he is saying can enjoy it.

The Foo Fighter's video makes sense in regard to the message their song is conveying. The video makes the song better because there is a lot of build up, and creates a clear climax of the song. The statement that is being made is that you are free to be an individual, and there will always be powers in numbers so long as you stick to your guns. I personally like this band because their songs have good messages, and a great sound.

System of a Down's video makes sense because it perfectly depicts the message they are conveying. The video makes the song better because it demands attention, and the listeners should be attention to what this band is saying. The message is both social and political. They attack the government for withholding information from citizens and overall doing us a disservice. They call out the people for buying into their mind control media, and consumerism. I like this band because no matter how much I love their music because they are one of the few metal bands that I have come across to actually have a linear message throughout their message that I can agree with.

Exit through the gift shop

Exit through the gift shop is an interesting title because it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. From the perspective of someone who completely believes the documentary as a true story it can mean the state of art after the story has progressed fully. When I think of a gift shop I think of lots of cheap trinkets that are of monetary value, but little to no personal attachment to the artists if the trinkets were thought of as their art. From the perspective of someone who thinks this is a complete hoax the title could allude to Banksy's feeling about modern art; the meaning behind art is lost because after going to a gallery or finishing a show you simply go to the gift shop to purchase a material good that will be used as nothing more than a status symbol due to the current popularity of street art.

In reference to the article we read by Chuck Klosterman titled "Things We Think We Know" both sides are equally right. The fact that Banksy's identity is still unknown makes this topic even more debatable. Who's to say that this story isn't completely true, and an amazing story? Then there's the other side that looks at Banksy's track record and this being a big hoax fits as well. Each side faces the same burden of truth that neither side can provide. This debate is purely speculation.
 
Personally I would like to think that the documentary was based largely on real events. A more realistic hypothesis could be that many of the events were true up to possibly Mr. Brainwash's first artshow, and when Banksy heard about what was happening he decided to make something more of it. More often than not when something of this magnitude happens people want to challenge it, and I completely support that; except in this case there will never be a resolution because Banksy cannot be contacted leaving the public to continue to speculate further.

I know most people will agree with the idea that Banksy orchestrated the creation of Mr. Brainwash, but I know that there is no way of knowing the truth, but if everyone is in agreement then the truth becomes irrelevant and popular belief will dictate the verdict on this mystery.

The Immigration law

The immigration bill that was originally introduced in Arizona is a blatant violation of federal law, and encroaches on the civil rights of Hispanic citizens of this country. Immigration is undoubtedly an issue that must be dealt with, but America had to be careful When I was in sociology we talked about sanctions. Positive sanctions always have a better outcome when resolving conflicts. Negative sanctions also worked, but inevitably caused more problems for one reason or another.

Why are the America people allowing this to happen? As a Georgian, and American there is no excuse for legalizing racial profiling of any ethnicity. There is a right and wrong way to do everything and without a doubt these immigration laws are the latter. The main problems people have with immigration is that they don't pay taxes, and they benefit from out taxes. So rather than crippling our economies that need their labor by legalizing racial profiling we should come up with a constructive solution to this problem. We have to focus on solutions rather than the problem. Programs that can help us and them. It isn't all that hard to brainstorm an idea that will allow these people to become legal citizens and alleviate the problem that people are apparently so upset about.

People write this issue off saying or thinking things like "it's not my problem", but if our government is willing to legalize racial profiling of the second largest demographic in America then what do you think they will do next? The most troubling thing is that the federal government hasn't already condemned these laws, but with that said I am not sure where this would fall under the federal government's to do list. It is the civic duty of every American citizen to stand up and fight for our rights and the rights of our fellow man. If we don't we might as well all buy a copy of 1984 and get ready for the future.


People talk about dropping out like it's glamorous. It is dumbfounding how naive people can be. A basic college education is equivalent to a high school degree 30-50 years ago. If you want to be successful in any professional field they will expect you to have college as well as field experience. Which brings me to my next point; one of the leading reasons people are brushing off college is the job placement rates. Not everyone is getting work after college, and this is partly the economic setback and partly recently graduates being young and dumb. They spend their college career partying non-stop and never preparing for the future where as the graduates that do find work were constantly applying to internships, joining clubs, being active on campus resulting in a much broader network of people to contact with it was time to start the job hunt. It's all about who you know and if you didn't meet anyone during your 4 or so years of college enjoy you minimum wage 9-5.

Short bio

My name is Daniel Yamhari Huffman (I prefer Yamhari) I was born and raised in Atlanta more specifically the west end and since then I have lived in East Atlanta, Little 5 points, Jonesboro, College Park, and I currently live in Candler Park.

I am a Managerial Science major at Georgia State University because they didn't have International Business as a undergraduate major. I studied Japanese for four years during High School and plan on teaching English in Japan for a year or two before returning to school to pursue my graduate degree in International Business possibly at State, but only time will tell. I am also a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity at Georgia State.

I am a huge movie critic thus I have few favorite movies, but there are always some that stand out. As of lately the only genre of movies I tend to watch are Comedy, Suspense, and Romantic Comedies. Horror just isn't scary anymore, Action isn't that cool anymore, I haven't seen a really awesome Kung-Fu movie since The One, or House of Flying Daggers, and i was never a huge fan of other genres to begin with. So with all of that said my favorite movies are: Three Ninjas: Kickback, The Jungle Book, The Grinch, Gladiator, Donnie Darko, Garden State, Talladega Knights, The Hang Over, Superbad, Harry Potter: Prisoner of Askaban, Flubber, 300, and Austin Powers: Gold member.

Books is a bit shorter, while I do enjoy reading I have only come across 3 authors that I thoroughly enjoyed, but there are a few books that I took a liking too. All time favorite author is Kurt Vonnegut (Current favorite book: Cat's Cradle), George Orwell second, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn third. List of favorite books: Cat's Cradle, 1984, Catcher in the Rye, Kite Runner, One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, Brave new world, and Frankenstein. ---I got to the 2nd Harry potter book and stopped cuz the 4th movie was coming out or soemething--- Also twilight sucks... Vampires do not sparkle.

I like an array of genres ranging from ambient to black metal. I do not like country music or scream/emo music. Favorite bands/Artists: Modest Mouse, Gorillaz, Coheed and Cambria, Eminem, TV on the Radio, White Stripes, Rhyme Asylum, Disturbed Nujabes, Childish Gambino, Muse, The Bravery, Frou Frou, and uhm... Skindred.

Other things I am interested in are Photography, Soccer, Swimming, Anime, Video games, Stumbling, Modern Art, Debates, and skateboarding.