I paper i wrote for class...

A Reason to Get Up in the Morning

Media is a way of life. Media gives you your life. Much has been said about media. Whether you like it or not the truth is that media everywhere. Through technology, media has created a world where your opinion can be heard. Where you can hear the truth and be connected with what is going on. We are more informed; and therefore, we can make better decision. Where options become infinite and possibilities become endless. Where, with better information and more option, the world has become a better place. Our decisions as an individual, as a country, and as a species have become more beneficial. The world is in a better place financially, socially, and peacefully. Life is good and a hundred times better than life was for our grandparents, when media and technology had not open up choices and knowledge for the world. The only thing that has changed in the last sixty years has been media and technology. Therefore they together have given us this brave new world. Yes, media has given us this brave new world. And what a mess it is. Our world is not better. More information and more options have not brought us peace or joy. In fact, we are more indecisive, selfish, and discontent then any other generation before us.

The Plan for World Domination

Robbie is an intelligent and thoughtful young man. He is newly married and is enrolled in a masters program for public administration. He understands what is happening in the world. In interviewing him I discovered that he is regularly engaged with media. He watches CNN. He listens to NPR. He reads political blogs and watches, among others shows, Lost, Numbers and The Daily Show. His habits are not unlike most people his age. The only difference is that Robbie understands why he watches and listens to this media. He agree with and understand that media is bias. He knows that every media source has an agenda that they are trying to push. Robbie understands this more than most. This is why he watches what he watches and listens to what he listens to.
The Telecommunication Act of 1996 opened the world of media bias wide open. In effect companies could now own multiple companies across many different media outlets. You could watch CNN, read Time magazine, and listen to a wide range of music and learn the same thing from each. That’s because the same company owns all three, Time Warner. There has become a cartel of very powerful companies controlling what you see and what you learn (Miller, 2001). News and politics have become just other form of entertainment. And like all entertainment, they want to appeal to the largest audience that they can. So they cut and edit things so you will keep watching. You think how they want you to think. You lose your freedom of thought. Or maybe we just don’t use it. But one thing is for sure, with the revolution of blogs and message broads everyone has something to say. The sad thing is that we just repeat what we heard from the media. It’s just like what the philosopher Soren Kiekegaard wrote, “How absurd men are! They never use the liberties they have, they demand those they do not have. They have freedom of thought, they demand freedom of speech.” We have lost our thoughts and have adopted theirs. Yet, we are still talking. We are just mindless people. The sad thing is the media doesn’t care what we know as long as we learned it from them. There is more going on is this world then what CNN, or MTV, Fox News is telling us. So the questions becomes how do we stop the media take over of the world?
The Center for International Media Action (CIMA) is an organization that is trying to come up with a solution to the media take over. As stated on the CIMA (2003) website:
We need criticism and education, we need to hold media companies accountable and build strong alternatives. Locally, nationally and internationally we can use policy to make this happen. Activists working on a wide range of issues have realized that changing the media system is key to achieving authentic democracy, social justice and sustainable, healthy communities worldwide. This is the work that CIMA was created to support.
They believe that through criticism and education we can start to think for ourselves. Our ideas will be our ideas and not the corporate media’s ideas. With questioning things we will begin to find truth, form our own opinion and become comfortable with disagreeing with others. Media has become the king and it has abused its power and it is now time for the king to be over thrown. CIMA encourages the unity of activists at all levels to change the world. To make “media companies accountable and build strong alternatives (CIMA, 2003)” to the way we get our news and entertainment. We must demand truth.

The World as I see it

Talking is easy but action is a bit more difficult. The truth is that we are controlled by what we see and hear. We only know what we have learned. My independence is dependent on me and I am not dependable. I don’t think, as humans, we are able to do what is needs to be done to become independent thinkers. Throughout history someone has ruled us. Telling us how to think and where to go, whether it’s a king or a leader, a parent or a god. We understand when we are being ruled, yet we have no desire to change. We, as humans, are lazy and will be ruled by the one who stands up to be that ruler. This should not surprise us. We give up freedom of thought for freedom from choice. We are long for someone to take care of us, chose for us and control us. So mega corporations stepped in. They showed us right and wrong, who to hate and who to love. They chose what was important and what was not. They did what we, as a society didn’t want to do. So we can blame the media for controlling us. We can blame the government for helping this happen. But if we look at it and if we are honest with ourselves then we have to blame ourselves. It was a lack of responsible that got us here in the first place and it will be a lack of responsible that will keep us here. But that’s what we really want, right?

I am a big believer in people being able to do what they want and say what they want. I am also a big believer in G-d. As you might assume this creates a conflict in society. I believe and support artist to be able to say what they want on an song regardless if I agree with it or not. This is a stand I have always held to. I was asked last week what I thought about abortion. This person knew I was a Christian and was looking for a fight. So I have been thinking about this issue. People think because I am a Christian I am pro-life. I'll be honest I dont like abortion. I dont like the idea of it. But does that mean I should stop someone from doing it. There are lots of things in this world I dont like but I will never stop someone from doing it. I may not support you either but i will not stop you. What about gay marriage? I dont support but should i stop. Is stopping two gay men from marrying an act of obedience to G-d. I am called to love G-d and love others. I can only do what I believe G-d is calling me to do. Beside stopping gay marriage is not going to stop people from being gay. I want people to have a relationship with G-d. I find that talking to be people and loving them and just caring about them is much more affective then telling them that they are wrong. 

So I guess that I am pro-choice. And if two men want to get married then ok. Stopping people from doing something by making it illegal doesnt stop them from doing it. G-d knows this that why He sent Jesus. Cause laws dont stop but love does. There are bigger and greater battles to be fought for the name of Christ.

A message to the christians: Wake up. There is more going on and in this world then you see. Pay attention and listen to people.  

The winds of change

So there is a new Tyler in town. Thats right a new Tyler. No more old but new Tyler. And here are a few things I've learned.

1. The best way to make money is to make your roommate pay you a quarter every time he cusses. 

2. I am becoming a liberal. I know I hate myself too.

3. Women are just as prideful if not more prideful than men.

4. I am becoming a big fan of wine. I find it to be enjoyable and at the same time something new and complex to learn. And no Tiffany I am not a woman for enjoying wine. 

5. I am getting into jazz. I've never liked it before but its growing on me.

6. I love MIDI. I know most of you dont know what that is but trust me its cool.

7. I dont want to live in the USA anymore.

8. Everyone wants someone to talk to them. People are just waiting for someone to take interest in them. 

9. Discipline is a lost art with my generation. We need to be more discipline.

10. I love learning. 

11. The more I drink the worst I am at bowling.

12. I find it crazy and irresponsible that people don't know what is going with the bailout or politics. At least know that there is a bailout and who is running for president.

13. Everyone should check out www.worldmapper.org is the coolest website. Spent some time looking at maps.

14. I love my soon to be wife.

Thats what i've got right now. oh yeah i bought something off ebay for the first time. it was fun.

ok bye bye