Have you heard of Meghan Tonjes? She is a beautiful singer who was on The Ellen Show last week.
Meghan fascinates me. She has a beautiful voice but that isn't what amazes me. Meghan created a career out of youtube. She is 23 years old and in 2005 she began to play guitar. In 2006 she started posting videos of herself on youtube. Her youtube channel had around 5,000,000 views as of when she was on Ellen, and I'm sure it grew after that. She is releasing a cd on itunes soon.
The ability to market yourself, create your own corner of the internet and build a career off of it absolutely fascinates me. Julie Powell is another one that has done this. She created a blog to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook and it became a book and a movie. The internet holds these amazing possibilities for all of us. You don't need to find someone with money to support your career. You can create your own life on the internet. In the case of Meghan Tonjes, she didn't even have to leave her bedroom!
So I figure I can do this right? All I need is to come up with a brilliant and original idea and build it into a blog that could create my entire career.
I'll keep you posted...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
This Isn't Really About Keith Olberman
edit 1/27/11: I just read the text for the Mass Media class I am taking this semester and realized how fitting this blog entry was this week...
I have been a fan of Keith Olbermann for years. Not a huge fan, I didn't set the dvr or anything. I usually channel flipped into him. If anything big was going on in the news (and when isn't something big going on?) I would flip to youtube and go looking for Keith Olbermann's special comment. I am far from thinking everything that came out of his mouth was gospel, but he was entertaining, well-spoken and had a big enough vocabulary to make me do the geek-dance (I love big words). Above all that, he made me think.
When he spoke against Prop 8 I was ecstatic. I am sad to see him leave his show. Keith Olbermann is part of an entertainment niche that is essential to our political education. Keith Olbermann, and those like him, point out social and political issues. They give America something to think about. Olbermann spoke up for minorities, he questioned authority, he demanded thought-provoking conversation. America needs that.
More Americans need to talk about the news. More than the catfights that begin in online forums. Let's discuss. Let's talk about Olbermann's speech after Gifford's was shot, or his words on gun control. His commentary on gay suicides and the war in Iraq. Let's talk about the eight years he spent speaking about humanity, morality and society. Let's take up the reigns where he has had to leave them and continue the conversation. Let's do the investigation on our own. While we're at it, let's talk about the others. Rachel Maddow, Bill O'Reilly. Whoever. Let's take their opinions and compare it to other opinions and reach our own conclusions, instead of dismissing everything that comes out of their mouths simply because of their political affiliation. I'm sure if I dug deep enough I could find something Glen Beck and I agree on - maybe ice cream flavors? Too many people decide "I am a Democrat" and they believe everything Rachel Maddow says without question from that point forward. Which then makes them dismiss every word coming out of Bill O'Reilly's mouth, again without question.
Too many Americans are willing to just take the headlines and run with it. Just yesterday a friend of mine read the headline of a note my brother posted on facebook and sent me really confusing messages about it because she hadn't read the actual content of the post. My neighbor said to me recently, "Did you hear that Governor LePage told all blacks to kiss his ass?" (Not at all what LePage did, but that's a whole different story about a governor who made headlines with his big mouth just two weeks into office) He didn't read the article. He read the headline and then switched his XBox back on. He didn't think for himself or investigate, he simply believed what he was told. In today's 24 hours news world there is no reason to get your news from one location. There is no reason you can't find the whole story. Watch Fox if you are a fan, but then watch CNN or NPR. Check out Google News. Go to a different location!
Americans are a slave to the media. We believe what our chosen news program or our favorite comedian tells us and we stick with it. We form our opinions instantly and then we just focus on things that will continue to support that opinion. So this is my challenge: Go to a news site you have never used before. Go to googlenews and find an article from a location you have never been to. NPR, CNN, MSNBC. You could even read something from a newspaper in different city. Just go, read something new today! Think for yourself! Delve deeper and question what you are told. (Of course if you frequently read my blog you probably already think for yourself... and I've just horribly insulted you...)
I have been a fan of Keith Olbermann for years. Not a huge fan, I didn't set the dvr or anything. I usually channel flipped into him. If anything big was going on in the news (and when isn't something big going on?) I would flip to youtube and go looking for Keith Olbermann's special comment. I am far from thinking everything that came out of his mouth was gospel, but he was entertaining, well-spoken and had a big enough vocabulary to make me do the geek-dance (I love big words). Above all that, he made me think.
When he spoke against Prop 8 I was ecstatic. I am sad to see him leave his show. Keith Olbermann is part of an entertainment niche that is essential to our political education. Keith Olbermann, and those like him, point out social and political issues. They give America something to think about. Olbermann spoke up for minorities, he questioned authority, he demanded thought-provoking conversation. America needs that.
More Americans need to talk about the news. More than the catfights that begin in online forums. Let's discuss. Let's talk about Olbermann's speech after Gifford's was shot, or his words on gun control. His commentary on gay suicides and the war in Iraq. Let's talk about the eight years he spent speaking about humanity, morality and society. Let's take up the reigns where he has had to leave them and continue the conversation. Let's do the investigation on our own. While we're at it, let's talk about the others. Rachel Maddow, Bill O'Reilly. Whoever. Let's take their opinions and compare it to other opinions and reach our own conclusions, instead of dismissing everything that comes out of their mouths simply because of their political affiliation. I'm sure if I dug deep enough I could find something Glen Beck and I agree on - maybe ice cream flavors? Too many people decide "I am a Democrat" and they believe everything Rachel Maddow says without question from that point forward. Which then makes them dismiss every word coming out of Bill O'Reilly's mouth, again without question.
Too many Americans are willing to just take the headlines and run with it. Just yesterday a friend of mine read the headline of a note my brother posted on facebook and sent me really confusing messages about it because she hadn't read the actual content of the post. My neighbor said to me recently, "Did you hear that Governor LePage told all blacks to kiss his ass?" (Not at all what LePage did, but that's a whole different story about a governor who made headlines with his big mouth just two weeks into office) He didn't read the article. He read the headline and then switched his XBox back on. He didn't think for himself or investigate, he simply believed what he was told. In today's 24 hours news world there is no reason to get your news from one location. There is no reason you can't find the whole story. Watch Fox if you are a fan, but then watch CNN or NPR. Check out Google News. Go to a different location!
Americans are a slave to the media. We believe what our chosen news program or our favorite comedian tells us and we stick with it. We form our opinions instantly and then we just focus on things that will continue to support that opinion. So this is my challenge: Go to a news site you have never used before. Go to googlenews and find an article from a location you have never been to. NPR, CNN, MSNBC. You could even read something from a newspaper in different city. Just go, read something new today! Think for yourself! Delve deeper and question what you are told. (Of course if you frequently read my blog you probably already think for yourself... and I've just horribly insulted you...)
Friday, January 21, 2011
Christianaphobia
There is a knee jerk reaction among Athiests and Pagans when they hear something about a Christian. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? It's the eye roll, the look, the "Oh gods, what did those silly Christians do now?" reaction.
Frankly, I'm sick of it. It's silly. It is not a solution, it only perpetuates the same social ailment that prompted my post on Islamaphobia. It is an issue of acceptance and freedom.
You can feed me all the crap you want about "witches" being burnt at the stake and those evil Jehovah's Witnesses disturbing you during American Idol. You can tell me this is what they deserve for years of oppression. You can attempt to justify it any way you want. It is still religious intolerance.
My sister is one of the truest Christians I know. She is completely devoted to her church, her god, her belief system. Honestly, I admire it. It amazes me that she and I could be raised in the same home and learn the same traditions and end up so entirely different. I admire her faith because it truly appears that nothing can break it. It is strong. It fascinates me.
So when she posted on facebook that she wanted to know her friend's thoughts on gay marriage I was immediately intrigued. I was involved in the conversation and stated my opinion. I accepted her opinion. I know she loves me, and I know she loves my partner. When she was here last week with a friend we discussed religious intolerance.
She and her friend are both devoted Christians. Her friend was telling us that when she meets homosexuals she often feels she has to immediately say, "Oh, I may have gone to a Christian college and I may wear a cross but that doesn't mean I hate you!" I think it is sad that we all need this clarification. Sad for the Christians and sad for us.
Now, let me clarify before the emails begin. This does not mean we should allow others to use their religion to justify their negative actions. As a society we need to progress beyond the Witch Hunts and the slavery. Women have earned the right to work, vote and be recognized as human beings. There are members of the Church who would like to see this reversed. But those people are not the norm. They are the ones making headlines. They are the interesting Christians. My sister's honest and uncontroversial beliefs would never make headlines. In regards to gay marriage she feels "the Bible doesn't say 'Legislate one unto another.'" She went on to say "It is not my job to judge."
Give credit where credit is due. Follow the Christian belief of "Love the sinner, not the sin." Recognize that it is the individual person. There are Catholic priests who are pedophiles. Not all Catholic priests are pedophiles. Religion, in general, can be a beautiful thing. It can also be used for evil. The problem is when people can't separate one person from the masses. Recognize that they are individuals. McDonald's may be America's favorite fast food, but I can't stand the place. That doesn't mean I am not American.
In my home we often refer to the movie "The Blind Side" when discussing true Christians and what they should be. The woman Sandra Bullock plays (based on a true story, btw) is one of the truest examples of a Christian I have ever seen. She takes this big black kid who doesn't stand a chance and is entirely alone in the world and she invites him to her home. She trusts him. She believes in him. And, in turn, he changes her life for the better.
Another example is the man in the beginning of Les Miserables who protects the man who is robbing him in order to give the robber a chance to change his path in life. Those are true Christians. True Christians recognize their commitment to God by spreading the word where it is wanted. True Christians are not standing at funerals with signs that read "God Hates Fags" or kicking their teenage boy out on the streets because he thinks he is gay. A true Christian realizes their place is not judgement. Their place is love and peace.
Can we all meet in the same place?
Frankly, I'm sick of it. It's silly. It is not a solution, it only perpetuates the same social ailment that prompted my post on Islamaphobia. It is an issue of acceptance and freedom.
You can feed me all the crap you want about "witches" being burnt at the stake and those evil Jehovah's Witnesses disturbing you during American Idol. You can tell me this is what they deserve for years of oppression. You can attempt to justify it any way you want. It is still religious intolerance.
My sister is one of the truest Christians I know. She is completely devoted to her church, her god, her belief system. Honestly, I admire it. It amazes me that she and I could be raised in the same home and learn the same traditions and end up so entirely different. I admire her faith because it truly appears that nothing can break it. It is strong. It fascinates me.
So when she posted on facebook that she wanted to know her friend's thoughts on gay marriage I was immediately intrigued. I was involved in the conversation and stated my opinion. I accepted her opinion. I know she loves me, and I know she loves my partner. When she was here last week with a friend we discussed religious intolerance.
She and her friend are both devoted Christians. Her friend was telling us that when she meets homosexuals she often feels she has to immediately say, "Oh, I may have gone to a Christian college and I may wear a cross but that doesn't mean I hate you!" I think it is sad that we all need this clarification. Sad for the Christians and sad for us.
Now, let me clarify before the emails begin. This does not mean we should allow others to use their religion to justify their negative actions. As a society we need to progress beyond the Witch Hunts and the slavery. Women have earned the right to work, vote and be recognized as human beings. There are members of the Church who would like to see this reversed. But those people are not the norm. They are the ones making headlines. They are the interesting Christians. My sister's honest and uncontroversial beliefs would never make headlines. In regards to gay marriage she feels "the Bible doesn't say 'Legislate one unto another.'" She went on to say "It is not my job to judge."
Give credit where credit is due. Follow the Christian belief of "Love the sinner, not the sin." Recognize that it is the individual person. There are Catholic priests who are pedophiles. Not all Catholic priests are pedophiles. Religion, in general, can be a beautiful thing. It can also be used for evil. The problem is when people can't separate one person from the masses. Recognize that they are individuals. McDonald's may be America's favorite fast food, but I can't stand the place. That doesn't mean I am not American.
In my home we often refer to the movie "The Blind Side" when discussing true Christians and what they should be. The woman Sandra Bullock plays (based on a true story, btw) is one of the truest examples of a Christian I have ever seen. She takes this big black kid who doesn't stand a chance and is entirely alone in the world and she invites him to her home. She trusts him. She believes in him. And, in turn, he changes her life for the better.
Another example is the man in the beginning of Les Miserables who protects the man who is robbing him in order to give the robber a chance to change his path in life. Those are true Christians. True Christians recognize their commitment to God by spreading the word where it is wanted. True Christians are not standing at funerals with signs that read "God Hates Fags" or kicking their teenage boy out on the streets because he thinks he is gay. A true Christian realizes their place is not judgement. Their place is love and peace.
Can we all meet in the same place?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
First Day Back...
Classes start today after our long winter break. I got about half of my to-do list done over the three week hiatus from classes.
I've been sick the last two days. However, I have been learning a LOT because I've been watching National Geographic specials on my laptop in bed the last two days. So, random facts:
-Sperm Whales got their name from a white oily substance in their skulls called spermaceti
-There are likely some Bowhead Whales swimming our oceans today who were born during Thomas Jefferson's presidency.
-Herman Melville had a crazy life!
-Colossal Squids appear to grow in girth instead of length as they age, though no one knows for sure because only one adult colossal squid has ever been caught intact.
-Squids have really small oddly shaped brains.
-Hyena's begin mock sexual activity almost immediately after birth.
So there we go. Some weird little facts. I began to watch an awesome special on Buddha last night but I fell asleep so hopefully I can finish it later. Off to class!
I've been sick the last two days. However, I have been learning a LOT because I've been watching National Geographic specials on my laptop in bed the last two days. So, random facts:
-Sperm Whales got their name from a white oily substance in their skulls called spermaceti
-There are likely some Bowhead Whales swimming our oceans today who were born during Thomas Jefferson's presidency.
-Herman Melville had a crazy life!
-Colossal Squids appear to grow in girth instead of length as they age, though no one knows for sure because only one adult colossal squid has ever been caught intact.
-Squids have really small oddly shaped brains.
-Hyena's begin mock sexual activity almost immediately after birth.
So there we go. Some weird little facts. I began to watch an awesome special on Buddha last night but I fell asleep so hopefully I can finish it later. Off to class!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Poetry Today
Just a little poem I was inspired to write as I drove through my neighborhood yesterday... Have a great day all!
The Morning After
There is a certain
camaraderie
as we all trudge
out of our homes
the morning after
like little ants
with our tiny shovels
we undo the blanket
mother nature spent
the night creating
we nod to each other
with our matching pink noses
our muscles aching
as we remove the heavy snow
from walkways
roads
cars
one cold army
working toward
one goal
one united force
of humanity
The Morning After
There is a certain
camaraderie
as we all trudge
out of our homes
the morning after
like little ants
with our tiny shovels
we undo the blanket
mother nature spent
the night creating
we nod to each other
with our matching pink noses
our muscles aching
as we remove the heavy snow
from walkways
roads
cars
one cold army
working toward
one goal
one united force
of humanity
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
I Learned Everything I Need To Know...
I recently read a bumper sticker that has been rattling around in my brain since. It read, “I learned everything I need to know about Islam on September 11th.” The close-minded xenophobia of this bumper sticker disgusts me. I watched Neil Patrick Harris kiss his partner as he won an award the other day and rejoiced in how diverse and accepting our nation is. And then I saw this sticker and I was sickened by it. How can you say that you learned everything you need to know about a religion with over a billion followers from one small group of people? How can you say you learned everything you need to know about a centuries old religion from one event less than a decade ago?
The Catholic Crusades were a series of events that spanned over 200 years. The death total is unfathomable. Did you learn all you need to know about Catholicism from the Crusades?
The Westboro Baptist Church protests funerals of homosexuals, soldiers and politicians all over the country in the name of the Bible. Did you learn everything you need to know about Baptists from that one church?
Did you learn everything you need to know about Germans from the Nazis?
The Qur’an is not the only religious text to be used to justify murder. The times the Bible has been used to justify horror would be impossible to count. The man who killed John Lennon blamed J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye”. Any text can be twisted and used to justify murder with the correct interpretation. That doesn’t mean that was the original intent of the author. And it doesn’t mean everyone who reads that text will take the same interpretation away from it.
“I learned everything I need to know about you from your bumper stickers”
The Catholic Crusades were a series of events that spanned over 200 years. The death total is unfathomable. Did you learn all you need to know about Catholicism from the Crusades?
The Westboro Baptist Church protests funerals of homosexuals, soldiers and politicians all over the country in the name of the Bible. Did you learn everything you need to know about Baptists from that one church?
Did you learn everything you need to know about Germans from the Nazis?
The Qur’an is not the only religious text to be used to justify murder. The times the Bible has been used to justify horror would be impossible to count. The man who killed John Lennon blamed J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye”. Any text can be twisted and used to justify murder with the correct interpretation. That doesn’t mean that was the original intent of the author. And it doesn’t mean everyone who reads that text will take the same interpretation away from it.
“I learned everything I need to know about you from your bumper stickers”
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Storytelling
I remember when a group of storytellers came to my elementary school. I remember sitting on the bleachers, a tiny kindergartener, captivated. One of the stories required someone to jump behind a curtain and switch from a pig mask to a wolf mask and back again and I laughed hysterically everytime. It is likely that was my first introduction to theater, in a sense.
I've taken to creating elaborate stories about the children I work with and the children I spend time with. It's a tip I learned from a coworker for bringing a kid down from the elevation cycle when they are upset. It works really well. For instance:
One day Katrina was walking down the street carrying a remote control (I usually let the child fill in details like what someone is carrying and such). She heard a little voice saying "hello? hello? little girl?" She looked down and spotted a frog. The frog smiled, tipped his hat at her and said, "would you mind using that remote control to transform me into a prince?" Katrina laughed and said, "How would my remote control that runs my tv turn you into a prince?" He said, "Just try that button there." Katrina laughed.
And then she tried it.
Seconds later a handsome prince stood in front of her. He said, "Much obliged," and ran off toward town to find the princess he loved. Katrina said, "What else can I do with this remote?" As she kept walking she found a shoe. It was untied. She pressed a button on the remote and the shoe tied itself. After transforming a piece of trash into a flower, a book into a cd and a nasty dog into a cute little pomeranian she went home, holding tightly to her new treasure. Her mother placed her dinner plate in front of her. Asparagus. Ew! Katrina snuck the remote out from under the table and the asparagus transformed into...
Brussells sprouts.
And Katrina realized there are some things you just can't change.
She tenatively bit a brussells sprout... not so bad!
I've taken to creating elaborate stories about the children I work with and the children I spend time with. It's a tip I learned from a coworker for bringing a kid down from the elevation cycle when they are upset. It works really well. For instance:
One day Katrina was walking down the street carrying a remote control (I usually let the child fill in details like what someone is carrying and such). She heard a little voice saying "hello? hello? little girl?" She looked down and spotted a frog. The frog smiled, tipped his hat at her and said, "would you mind using that remote control to transform me into a prince?" Katrina laughed and said, "How would my remote control that runs my tv turn you into a prince?" He said, "Just try that button there." Katrina laughed.
And then she tried it.
Seconds later a handsome prince stood in front of her. He said, "Much obliged," and ran off toward town to find the princess he loved. Katrina said, "What else can I do with this remote?" As she kept walking she found a shoe. It was untied. She pressed a button on the remote and the shoe tied itself. After transforming a piece of trash into a flower, a book into a cd and a nasty dog into a cute little pomeranian she went home, holding tightly to her new treasure. Her mother placed her dinner plate in front of her. Asparagus. Ew! Katrina snuck the remote out from under the table and the asparagus transformed into...
Brussells sprouts.
And Katrina realized there are some things you just can't change.
She tenatively bit a brussells sprout... not so bad!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Writing
I signed up today to write articles for http://www.suite101.com/ .
My 2011 goal is to write more. More blog, more journal entries, more essays. Obviously college will require a lot of writing. Next week I begin my second semester. I will be taking Creative Writing and a Mass Media & Pop Culture course. I'm also taking Social Psych with a teacher who signs a lot of papers. I'm looking forward to the writing portion of the semester. I have missed it over vacation.
If nothing else, I'm going to start posting some old poetry, so that this blog is a little more active. I've discovered some old discs of poetry hidden in a corner of the office that I've been working my way through.
So I'll leave you with a little poem I wrote in 2000
The Elements
the power
wrapping around me
air
filling my lungs
water
rushing o'er my toes
fire
heating up my heart
earth
lending me it's love
Spirit
empowering my soul
My 2011 goal is to write more. More blog, more journal entries, more essays. Obviously college will require a lot of writing. Next week I begin my second semester. I will be taking Creative Writing and a Mass Media & Pop Culture course. I'm also taking Social Psych with a teacher who signs a lot of papers. I'm looking forward to the writing portion of the semester. I have missed it over vacation.
If nothing else, I'm going to start posting some old poetry, so that this blog is a little more active. I've discovered some old discs of poetry hidden in a corner of the office that I've been working my way through.
So I'll leave you with a little poem I wrote in 2000
The Elements
the power
wrapping around me
air
filling my lungs
water
rushing o'er my toes
fire
heating up my heart
earth
lending me it's love
Spirit
empowering my soul
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